Probably Arrhythmia
by OliviaAnne
Summary: How did she realize that she was in-love with Haninozuka Mitsukuni? With the help from Google, of course.
1. Chapter 1

**Pairing:** Haninozuka Mitsukuni x Fujioka Haruhi

I know Haruhi is always paired off with the twins or Kyoya or Tamaki but why not give the Loli-shota type a shot, right? =) He's the cutest of them all!

I hope you guys enjoy this one! =)

…

Today was just not her day.

She woke up with a _stain_ on her blanket. Since it was a Monday, she can't be bothered to wash it since she had school. With a heavy sigh, she left her blanket in a pail with soapy water so as to slowly wash away the stain.

When she arrived at school, the twins glomped on her which made her cramps feel much more painful. She glared at the twins and stomped her way to her classroom, leaving stupefied twins.

As classes progressed, so did her headache. She wanted to leave the room and take some painkillers from the infirmary but the nurse might force her to get some sleep ergo, she might miss classes and she didn't want that. She was a scholar student after all. She could not risk dropping her grades.

As she heard the bell for lunch break, she couldn't escape the relief that escaped her lips. She plopped her head on her desk and resigned to sleep, totally ignoring the red-head twins.

Kaoru placed a hand on Haruhi's head, softly caressing it. "I hope you're okay Haruhi. Get some rest, okay?"

"Don't forget to eat lunch." Hikaru said, placing Haruhi's bento at the side of her table. "We'll be back as soon as we're done."

Receiving no reply, the twins left the classroom and headed straight to the cafeteria, ready to report Haruhi's odd behavior today.

…

"Hikaru! Kaoru!"

Their blonde King was waving with so much excitement that they can literally see sparkles around him. But today, they're gonna ignore that. It's not about their idiot King today.

"Oi Tono!"

"Eh?" Another blonde character showed, but this time he was carrying a pink bunny with buttons as his eyes. Plus, this blonde's height didn't even reach the twins' shoulders. He was that short. "Where's Haru-chan?"

"About that…" Hikaru started.

"You shady twins!" Tamaki, the Host Club's number one prince, lifted an accusing finger. "Where is my darling daughter?!"

The number one prince received a glare from Hikaru. "Shut it for a second, Tono. I'm about to get to that point."

This resulted in Tamaki crouching and hiding behind the Host Club's Vice-President, Ootori Kyoya, who was ignoring the entire scene and was simply enjoying his rich lunch.

"Haruhi seems… tired." Hikaru started.

"And irritated, if you included that thing this morning." Kaoru added. "Anyway, he's just not his usual self today. So we left him in the classroom."

Curious gazes turned into worried ones. "Did he say anything?" Honey inquired.

The twins shook their heads. "He was asleep when we left."

At this point, Tamaki was already standing, worry etched on his handsome features. "Did he look sick or anything?"

The twins rolled their eyes. Wasn't he listening? "We said he looked tired and irritated." The twins said.

"Kyoya."

The Shadow King simply nodded, knowing Tamaki's intention. "Let's all finish our lunch then we'll head to 1-A."

…

Bright lights invaded her brown eyes which increased her headache. The usual chatter of the rich students was absent, so she deduced that it was still lunch break. _How long was I out? What time is it?_ Slowly, she lifted her head, feeling a dull ache on her neck and on her lower back. She sighed again, slowly massaging her temples to somehow relieve her headache.

Yep, today was just not her day.

"Haruhi?"

She diverted her tired gaze to the classroom's door. The entire Host Club was looking at her. "Tamaki-senpai?" She said weakly.

"Haru-chan? Are you okay?" Honey hopped his way towards Haruhi's desk. The rest of the members followed.

Haruhi nodded, trying to force a natural smile, but then felt a sore muscle on her neck which made her wince. Everyone saw that.

"Haruhi." Tamaki closed in, placing a hand on her cheek. "Your eyes are a bit red. Do you have a fever?"

Haruhi, not actually caring anymore about personal space, shook her head. "Just a little headache, that's all."

"Since this morning?" Kaoru asked.

"You've been irritable since you got in here." Hikaru added.

"Infirmary." Mori said.

Tamaki nodded. "Haruhi, let's –"

Haruhi hastily gripped one of Tamaki's sleeves. Tamaki looked at Haruhi, more worried this time. "What is it, Haruhi?"

"It'll be pointless to take pain killers because my head ache will just come back." She said, her voice gaining a bit of her usual tone. "I'll be okay. This'll be gone in a few days."

Kyoya, who was silent all this time, found this a bit intriguing. "Do you have some sort of medical condition that we don't know about, Haruhi?"

 _Of course he'd deduce to that._ "No, Kyoya-senpai, I don't. It's just…"

"Just what, Haruhi?" He probed.

She could feel the heat on her neck slowly rising to her cheeks. _This is normal. A woman's body goes through this period every month._ But still, she couldn't help but feel embarrassed. Women usually don't go about announcing it that she's on _that time_. Most definitely not, especially in her case when she's pretending to be a boy!

"Look guys, thanks for worrying but I'm sure it'll be okay." She insisted, not wanting to move.

"What sort of headache is that Haruhi?" Hikaru asked, a frown on his face.

"If it's just a normal one, pain killers could make it go away." Kaoru said. "Let's just go Haruhi." He probed.

"Don't worry about any needles my darling daughter!"

A tick appeared on Haruhi's tired face. _That's not what I'm worried about…_ "My body is aching, okay? I really don't wanna move at all. Trust me, this'll go away in a few days."

"Haruhi."

Haruhi flinched, not wanting to look at her senior's face. _Not Mori-senpai, please…_ "…Hai, Mori-senpai?" She asked meekly.

"You should go to the restroom and change."

"Eh?" Haruhi said dumbly, not exactly knowing what Mori meant.

"Go and change." He repeated, his face looking impassive. "It'll be bad if you get any stains."

Haruhi's cheeks flushed. "Ha – Hai!" In a haste, she carried her bag and went to the nearest restroom without looking back at any of the members.

A moment of silence passed through the 6 gentlemen.

"So that's what it was, ne Takashi?" Honey grinned.

"Ah."

Kyoya sighed, finally putting the pieces together. "So that's what it was…" He mumbled.

Kaoru looked at the Kendo champion. "Mori-senpai?"

"It's nothing to be concerned about." Mori said. "It's… their nature."

A lightbulb appeared in Kaoru's head. "Oh. Heh heh…"

"Kaoru? What's Mori-senpai talking about?"

"Mom! I don't like being out of the loop! What's happening to our darling daughter!?"

Kyoya dragged Tamaki out of the room with his collar. "Let's go. We're wasting our time here."

"But our daughter!"

Honey hopped on Mori's back. "See you later at the club Hika-chan, Kao-chan!"

"Eh?" Hikaru scratched his neck, totally not getting anything at all. He turned to his twin who had a goofy smile on his face. "Kaoru, what's going on?"

Kaoru simply chuckled and dragged his twin to his desk. "I'll tell you the wonderful secrets later, dear brother."

Hikaru pouted, feeling absolutely left out of the situation.

…

The door to the Third Music Room opened and revealed the Hitachiin Twins… with a zombie-looking Haruhi.

"Haruhi."

The natural host flinched, somehow knowing what the almighty Shadow King was about to ask. "Yes, Senpai?" _I'm pretty sure he's gonna add more to my -_

"I'll allow you to skip hosting hours today."

"Huh?" The sentence caught the natural host off-guard. "Huh?" She repeated dumbly. "I don't think… I heard you right, Kyoya-senpai."

Tamaki, out of nowhere, popped right in front of Haruhi. "Is your illness that bad that you can't hear your own mother, Haruhi?!"

The twins pulled Haruhi from Tamaki's rather aggressive hold. "Oi Tono, stop shaking Haruhi." They said, unceremoniously dumping Haruhi beside the Loli-shota who was enjoying his cake.

"Ow…" Haruhi grumbled, massaging her lower back. "Stupid twins…" Her head was still pounding, her entire body was aching – today was just not her day.

"Haru-chan?"

She covered her eyes with her arms, her position totally unladylike but hey, who's to judge? She was posing as a boy anyway. "Yes, Honey-senpai?"

"You can go ahead and use my nap time if you want."

 _I'd rather not._

She never knew when it started. It started with irregular heartbeats whenever he was near her or when she delivers his treats to his table. One school morning, she asked Hikaru to bring his laptop to school and connect it to the school's incredibly fast internet. The twins badgered her for days about what she did on Hikaru's laptop since they couldn't find any trace of the things that she did. Just because she was a commoner doesn't mean she's not in-tune with technology. She's just poor, that's all.

According to what she found on Google, she probably had Arrhythmia – irregular heartbeats. That night, she asked her dad if her mom had any medical conditions aside from the illness that took her life away. Her father instantly panicked thinking that his own daughter might be showing symptoms. In an attempt to ease her father, she blurted everything out about her irregular heartbeats whenever she's near her short senior. What she got in reply was a hearty laugh which irritated her immensely. She left the table and slammed her door… and could still hear her cross-dressing father laughing. She couldn't remember when her father stopped laughing or when her father opened her door, but she could clearly remember what her father said next: 'My lovely daughter, you're growing up so fast. Maybe you should try looking up the significance of irregular heartbeats to love.'

The next morning, she bothered Kaoru to bring his laptop. It took a whole lot of bribing so that she'd be left alone with his laptop during lunch break. After accepting a deal on modeling one of their mother's new clothing line, she was finally left in peace. She really didn't wanna believe her father. Fujioka Haruhi having an attraction to Haninozuka Mitsukuni? That doesn't sound right at all, right? So again, she looked up 'Arrhythmia'. She went through a number of pages on Google until that one article caught her eye – 'Arrhythmia or Love?'. She clicked on the article and what greeted her were the so-called symptoms when you're in love. She scoffed at the idea at first. There was no way that she could be in-love with her senior. Then she started reading… reading… and reading… Yep. No way at all. She shut Kaoru's laptop and proceeded with her hand-made lunch box.

But the following weeks made her realize that she actually was in love with the small-statured senior.

Thinking about him made her heart race.

She could feel some sort of heat on her face when she's on her way to deliver his treats.

She finds herself stuttering when she tries to talk to him. _Where did my brain go when I needed it the most?!_

Her senses were somehow heightened whenever he was near. She could smell his sweetness. _Please don't let my mind warp into something like Tamaki-senpai._

And that one time…

She literally fell on top of him when she stepped on some fabric that was left after one of their cosplays. _Is this what they call 'falling' in love?!_

As soon as she acknowledged her 'symptom', she knew she had to gain control of herself. Appearances can be deceiving. Yes, Haninozuka Mitsukuni may be a shorty but he's one hell of a good fighter. Not only that, he's probably on par with Kyoya's perceptiveness. That was not good. Not good news.

Right now, she knew that she was sitting right beside him. She could – _again_ – smell his sweetness waft through her nostrils. Her pounding brain and body aches seemed to have subsided just a tad bit making her feel drowsy. She could feel herself falling asleep despite the wild antics of their King and the mischievous twins. Just being right beside him just made her feel… content.

What happened next was something that was totally out of her control and she could possibly blame it on fatigue or her period or her splitting headache.

As soon as consciousness left, she fell sideways… bumping straight onto Haninozuka Mitsukuni. Her head fell straight onto Honey's lap. She breathed in the sweet smell and mumbled sleepily –

"Sweet, sweet Honey…"

…

 **And that, my dear reader, is chapter 1 =) I hope you enjoyed the first chapter! I'll be posting an update soon!**

 **Ciao!  
Nana xxx**


	2. Chapter 2

**Pairing:** Haninozuka Mitsukuni x Fujioka Haruhi

Praying and hoping that you guys enjoyed the first chapter =)

Here's the second chapter!

…

"Will she be okay?"

"Oh my God, Mommy do something!"

"Shut up, Tamaki."

"Oi Kaoru. Do something…"

"Do you see his eyes Mommy?! He's gonna murder our daughter!"

"It'll be okay Hikaru. See? Mori-senpai won't let Honey-senpai do anything to Haruhi."

"Get off, Tamaki!"

Effectively ignoring the hushed conversations on the other side of the room, Honey was thinking on how to handle his current situation: how to eat his cake without cake crumbs falling on Haruhi's face!

"Mitsukuni."

Honey shook his head, knowing what his cousin was thinking. "She might be disturbed if we move her."

Mori looked at his cousin's cake.

Honey simply grinned. "I can just finish it later. Save it for me, 'kay?"

Mori stood up and collected Honey's unfinished cake.

The small senior wouldn't say it out loud but… he actually was enjoying Haruhi's unexpected close contact. Seriously, just because he looks like a child doesn't mean he is a child. Hell, he's 18 years old with a perfectly functional mind and body.

He looked on the other side of the music room. He saw the idiotic trio huddled near his cousin, probably asking him questions whether their secret princess was still alive. Ignoring their crazy antics, he settled his gaze on Haruhi's sleeping face. She looked absolutely serene. When she's awake, he could see the gears in her mind constantly turning and figuring things out on their own. But now, she looked at peace without a care in the world. He softly giggled at Haruhi's predicament. "You girls have it rough sometimes, ne?" He said softly, playing with Haruhi's soft brown tresses.

These past few weeks, he noticed something different about Haruhi. He remembered the twins saying about Haruhi borrowing their laptop but when they tried tracing the sites that Haruhi visited, it never showed up. Apparently, Haruhi wasn't an illiterate in technology. They also mentioned about Haruhi asking for their laptop the second time and giving them a huge prize in exchange for her privacy when using the laptop. This ensued another bout of craziness between the twins and their King.

As a martial artist, he was trained to read the opponent's body language and deduce their next move. Haruhi, in his sense, somehow looked more aware but at the same time confused… and that didn't make any sense to him at all. Maybe she finally figured something? It made a whole lot of sense since she was always thinking. Sometimes, she looked fidgety. Sometimes, she looked like she was thinking too much. Sometimes, she looked like she was holding something back. She didn't look like she was extremely bothered by it and she was looking cheerful so he didn't bother asking her about it. Maybe it was just her hormones or some girl science?

He felt her shuffle closer to him. Good thing Usa-chan was there or else she'd be breathing on his –

"Mitsukuni."

He looked up to see his cousin looking at Haruhi. "The club is about to start." He said.

"Hai!" He slowly lifted Haruhi's head and made Usa-chan as her make-shift pillow. "Usa-chan will keep her comfortable, ne Takashi?"

"Ah."

…

"Oh my gosh…"

"Is it okay if I kiss him?"

"I – I feel like getting an orga –"

"Shut it!"

"Haruhi-kun is too cute!"

Tamaki made a beeline to the Host Club's mother, Kyoya. "Mother! Do something!"

"Tamaki, our profits are increasing. Girls are sending a text message to other girls to come in here to look at Haruhi's sleeping face."

"The ladies are making crude comments about our dear daughter!" He hissed, eyeing that one girl who made a comment about her getting an 'O' by just simply looking at Haruhi.

"As long as they don't touch Haruhi, everything's okay. So go back to your clients please."

"Kyoya-senpai." The twins approached the 'cool host'. "Our clients abandoned us." They said, pointing at the crowd surrounding Haruhi.

"Like I said, go back to your stations."

"Aren't you worried though what Haruhi is like when someone interrupts her sleep?" Hikaru said, his voice taking on a teasing tone and settled at Tamaki's right side

"Yeah Tono." Kaoru agreed, taking Tamaki's left side. "If Kyoya-senpai here is the 'Low Blood Pressure Demon Lord' –"

"- and Honey-senpai over there is the 'Low Blood Pressure Beast' –" Hikaru continued, his lips getting closer to Tamaki's right ear.

"What do you think Haruhi will be?" They finished in chorus with identical grins on their face.

Kyoya snapped his notebook shut and fixed his glasses. "Why don't you all find out?"

 _Tamaki's Inner Mind Theatre_

" _Haruhi… it's time to wake up." Tamaki said softly, gently shaking Haruhi's shoulder._

 _A groan escaped from her lips. "Tamaki-senpai….?"_

 _He smiled at her. "Wake up, Princess."_

 _Feeling a sudden change in the atmosphere, the entire room blazed leaving Tamaki and Haruhi untouched. "Tamaki-senpai…" Haruhi muttered, slowly rising from the couch with her bangs covering her eyes._

" _Yes, Haruhi?" He could see her red aura, making her glow amidst the scorching flames. She was now sitting down, her body facing him. "Haruhi?" He asked again._

 _Haruhi yanked Tamaki's necktie causing the blonde to fall forward… and fall straight into Haruhi's chest. "Ha – Ha – Haruhi?"_

 _Soft fingertips traced his jawline, causing him to shiver. A satisfied smirk appeared on Haruhi's lips. "Ta – ma – ki…" She uttered softly, bringing her lips near Tamaki's ears. "You woke me up…"_

" _I'm sor -!"_

 _The feel of Haruhi's fingers on his lips was creating weird sensations in his body. "Ssshh… say no more." With one swift motion, his necktie was undone and tossed somewhere… probably burning. He felt Haruhi tilt his head up, making him look straight into the depths of her brown eyes that were burning with passion and mischief. "I'll be administering your punishment now, Tamaki. Stay still."_

 _Lost in her eyes, he said, "I'm at your mercy, Princess…"_

 _End of Tamaki's Inner Mind Theatre_

"Oi Hikaru. Look at Tono."

The older twin looked at Tamaki's lifeless form and… is that blood on his nose?

"Kaoru. Our Lord is such a pervert."

"Thinking perverted thoughts about our Haruhi."

"And he calls himself a gentleman."

"What a perv."

…

For the second time that day, bright lights invaded her closed lids. She whined, feeling that splitting headache coming back.

And then…

Suddenly, she could hear hushed whispers around her. She could hear the sound of cameras going off. _What in the world is happening?_

"Haru-chan?"

 _Sweet, sweet Honey…_

She slowly opened her eyes… revealing the one and only person who could possibly give her cardiac arrest: Haninozuka Mitsukuni.

Shock and happiness flowed through her body. She swore that she could feel her heart stop beating for a second or two… or maybe more than that but that wasn't significant. To mask her surprise, she smiled sweetly at her senior with sleepy eyes… not that she did that on purpose but she knew that she was still sleepy. "Mitsukuni…" She greeted him with a soft voice, completely unaware of her audience.

A blush appeared on Honey's cheeks. Those lips, that voice… and those eyes! _She even called me by my given name!_ And again, those eyes! He knew that she wasn't doing it on purpose but… heavens, she looked like she was seducing him with those eyes.

"KYAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH~!"

Haruhi fell from the couch… and was of course saved by Mori. "What the…..?" She turned around and saw a couple of girls lying on the ground with a weird smile on their faces, some were on the verge of collapsing, and some were just standing there with dazed look on their faces.

 _Oh God…_

She was embarrassed. That was it. She touched her face, checking whether she was drooling or not. Yep, today was just not her day. _Oh God…_ Immediately, she bowed down and sputtered her sincere apologies. "I'm sorry for today ladies. I was just –"

"Haruhi-kun, it's okay!"

"Your sleeping face turns me on!"

 _What?_ A blush crept on her cheeks. She looked at the girls who were literally falling all over her feet just because she slept right in front of them.

"HARUHI!"

She was trapped in a bear hug that she was sure if she stayed there, she would've died from oxygen deprivation. "Tamaki…..senpai….."

No seconds wasted, she was transported back to the couch. "Thank you, Mori-senpai."

"Ah."

"Ah Tono." She heard the twins. She looked at one of Tamaki's famous Corners of Woe and saw him swirling something on the floor with a dejected look on his face. The twins were poking him on either side of his shoulder. "We missed Haruhi's adorable I-just-woke-up look."

"Haruhi."

She flinched, recognizing that calculating voice anywhere. "Kyoya-senpai, I –"

"Come with me for a moment."

She shuddered, honestly fearing for her life… or her debt. She excused herself and slowly followed Kyoya. They stopped at one of the tables where Kyoya usually sits when he is working with his laptop and not dealing with any clients. Kyoya gestured for her to sit while he writes something on that dreaded black notebook of his. "Haruhi. About today –"

"I'm really sorry, Kyoya-senpai!" She lowered her head, making the Shadow King see that she really was sorry. Maybe it'll help lessen her impending punishment. "I know you said that I could –"

"Haruhi. Stop."

And she stopped. She looked up and saw a smirk on Kyoya's lips with his steely eyes swimming with amusement. Her eyebrow twitched in annoyance, thinking that the damned Shadow King must be getting his enjoyment from her panicked state. _Heartless bastard…_

"I'm not as heartless as you think, Haruhi. I saved you from further embarrassment."

"…Oh. Thank you."

Silence fell between them with Kyoya's hand gliding swiftly through his notebook and her just observing the other hosts… and her gaze lingering a bit longer on the shorter host of them all. Unbeknownst to her, the cool host was looking at where or rather, _who_ she was looking at. "You know, Haruhi…"

Her insides jumped, realizing that she had been staring. She fought the blush that tried to show. "What is it, Senpai?" Quickly, she trained her gaze on her senior who had an unreadable expression.

"He won't be staying in the club for long."

Haruhi started sputtering incoherent sentences that made the Shadow King grin. "I can barely understand you under your embarrassment, Haruhi. Speak louder."

Haruhi settled a glare on the senior in front of her with her face still flaming. "Shut up."

Kyoya simply chucked and again, snapped his notebook shut. "Thanks to your *cough* cute sleeping face –" A small tick appeared on Haruhi's forehead at that. "- profits went up today. I'll forgive you for that. And as for your uhh… _condition_ , I can always arrange a day or two in a month and excuse you from hosting duties."

Haruhi looked at Kyoya with skepticism. "What of my debt?" She inquired.

"Untouched." He fixed his glasses with one elegant finger and stood up from his seat. "I know that your condition is something that we can't avoid. I've heard that there are days where girls just don't feel like getting up or do anything at all because of their cramps. My sister gets irritable and complains about her body aching."

A soft smile appeared on Haruhi's features. She knew that despite Kyoya's cold exterior and personality, he was a caring man who looks out for others. "Thank you, Kyoya-senpai."

"Are you still feeling any pain? You do know we have an assortment of medical kits."

"I'd rather just ride it out. It'll come back anyway." She shrugged, once again placing her sights on the short host. "I'll just sit down here and wait for the club to finish."

"And Haruhi, like I said, he won't be here for long."

Haruhi simply ignored Kyoya's comment, feeling a different pain that was a bit stronger than the other body pains that she was feeling.

 _Don't you think I don't know that?_

…

"Haruhi-kun! I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

Haruhi smiled, making one of her clients blush prettily. "I'm looking forward to it."

And just like that, the Host Club is officially closed for the day.

"Well, you certainly are the top host today Haruhi." Kyoya commented.

She sighed in response. "Well at least that'll help my debt. I should probably sleep again next time. I'd probably surpass Tamaki-senpai."

Without any warnings, she was pulled into one of Tamaki's famous 'romantic' gestures; his right arm around her waist and his left hand on her cheek. Their closeness would've sent the other Ouran girls into bloody corpses but she, labeled as 'dense', 'oblivious' and a 'rock-head', simply stared at the number one prince of the Host Club with dull eyes. "You should've just admitted earlier that you wanna learn my techniques." He pulled her closer and still her eyes were as dull as gray. "Is this working, Princess?"

"Does it look like I'm fall –"

She felt pain shoot to her lower abdomen which made her feel that her insides were being scrunched up. Her eyes closed up and an utter of pain left from her lips.

The red-heads looked up from their game consoles.

Honey dropped his fork.

Mori and Kyoya simply looked with an unreadable face.

And…

Another pain was felt.

"Ah…" She moaned again. She opened one eye, trying to tell Tamaki to release her. The position she was in was making her body ache again. "Tama – aahh…" And another pain.

In a flash, Tamaki's body was planted on one of the walls.

Honey was laying Haruhi back to the couch whose face was scrunched up in pain and holding her stomach. "Haru-chan?"

"I'm okay…" She said with gritted teeth.

 _RING! RING! RING!_

Haruhi recognized that ringtone. It was her Father calling. "Ah, Dad…" She tried to sit up but her lower back somewhat protested, sending her lying back down to the couch. "Ugh. Stupid period…" She mumbled.

"Hello, Ranka-san?" Kyoya's smooth voice floated throughout the room. "Yes, Haruhi's here although she's resting." Silence followed. "Okay, I'll tell her that. Have a safe trip, Ranka-san."

"Is Haruhi's dad going somewhere?" Hikaru asked, pulling Tamaki with him whose face is still as red as a tomato.

Kyoya nodded and looked at Haruhi who was looking at him with half-lidded eyes. "Your Father is going on a trip with his workmates. They're gonna be throwing a send-off party so he won't be back 'til Wednesday. He's asking if you could stay with one of us to ensure your safety."

"Ha-ru-hiiii~!" The twins dumped a still dazed Tamaki somewhere and started lifting Haruhi from the couch. "Let's go before Milord does perverted things to you~!"

She could feel her muscles complaining with the sudden movement. She winced. "Hikaru. Kaoru. Stop it." She pleaded weakly.

Honey stopped the twins from moving Haruhi out from the couch. "Hika-chan. Kao-chan. I think Haru-chan isn't feeling very well. Be gentle with her, ne?"

"Let Haruhi decide." Mori spoke.

The twins looked ashamed. "Sorry, Haruhi."

Haruhi managed to give them a small smile before wincing again, feeling another pain on her lower abdomen. "I'm sorry too. But it's okay. This'll pass."

Hikaru crouched in front of her and affectionately ruffled her hair. "Are you really okay, Haruhi?"

Haruhi simply nodded and signaled Hikaru to come closer, which made the red-head blush. Her doe-like eyes that were mysteriously twinkling and those pink lips that have yet been tainted by a man; her innocence was alluring. He shifted closer. He could distinctly smell her strawberry scent… and for some reason he instantly liked it.

Haruhi shifted closer to Hikaru's ear. She cupped his closest ear and said, "I'm on my period Hikaru."

If it were possible, the shade that Hikaru's face reached must've been darker than his hair. "I'm sorry!" He shouted. He grabbed Kaoru's hand and flew them out of the Third Music Room.

"Well I wasn't expecting that." She said while trying to get herself comfortable seated on the couch.

"That leaves Mori-senpai and Honey-senpai, Haruhi."

 _That rich bastard…_ She knew what Kyoya was doing. She sent him a glare that clearly unfazed him and continued staring at her.

"Eh? You can't take her with you, Kyo-chan?" Honey asked, his Usa-chan tucked strongly on his arm. "I'm sure you've got loads of medicines to help Haru-chan."

"I do love to help Haruhi –" She nearly scoffed at that. Oh how she can hear the falseness in his voice, practically dripping. "- but I can't today since I'm going out tonight to help my brother, Akito. I'm unable to look after her." Kyoya fought the urge to smirk on what he was about to say next. "Why don't you take Haruhi, Honey-senpai? I'm pretty sure you've got an assortment of medical kits too since you're a martial artist. And I'm 100% positive you'll spoil her with food."

 _BA-DUMP._

Honey looked at Haruhi who was staring right back at him. Her already large brown eyes were somehow slightly wider than normal. "Is it okay with you Haru-chan?" He asked sincerely, not wanting to push her.

 _BA-DUMP. BA-DUMP._

She could feel her own heat rising back up to her head. _Oh God…_ "Ye – yeah, Honey-senpai. Hehehe…" She laughed awkwardly while silently cursing Kyoya.

"Yay~!" Honey cheered in his usual child-like ways. "We'll be having so much fun, Haru-chan~!"

"Mitsukuni." Mori warned, silently telling the small senior to cut back on the 'fun' and let Haruhi actually rest.

Honey turned to his loyal cousin with a toothy grin. "Don't worry, Takashi~! I'll take good care of her~!"

 _BA-DUMP. BA-DUMP. BA-DUMP._

Kyoya smirked, unable to hide his amusement. "Well then, let's all go while I try to revive this blonde idiot."

"Takashi, will you please carry Haru-chan to the limo?"

"Ah."

Honey jumped on Mori's back while Mori swiftly but gently picked up Haruhi like she didn't weigh anything. "Ah – arigato, Mori-senpai."

He simply grunted in reply and walked towards Ouran's front gates.

Honey took one of Haruhi's hand in his and held it. "Don't worry so much, ne Haru-chan~?"

 _BA-DUMP. BA-DUMP. BA-DUMP. BA-DUMP. BA-DUMP._

She simply forced a smile at Honey and stayed silent, silently sending a prayer to her Mom up in heaven.

 _Mom, if I die tonight, please be there okay? At least the last person I see before I die is the person that I have feelings for._

…

 **Tada~! Did you guys like it? Did you? DID YOU? =)) Anyway, I hope you did =)**

 **I'll be posting another chapter soon. So be ready for it! =)**

 **Ciao!  
Nana xxx**


	3. Chapter 3

**4996Pairing:** Haninozuka Mitsukuni x Fujioka Haruhi

I'd like to send my virtual hugs and kisses to those people who reviewed, placed my story in their favorites list and following it. It's such a big compliment for me =)

…

"Wow…" Was all the honor student could say. Haruhi was too busy admiring the Haninozuka manor that she completely forgot to say her thanks to Mori-senpai for assisting her earlier back at school. So when she heard Honey saying 'Bye-bye~!' and an engine roaring, she turned around and saw the limo already making its way to send Mori-senpai back to his home. "Ah…" She sighed. _I'll just send him a text or tell him tomorrow…_

"Is everything okay, Haru-chan?"

Haruhi turned her gaze to Honey whose innocent face was looking a bit worried. "Ah yes, Honey-senpai. Sorry. I was just thinking on giving my thanks to Mori-senpai tomorrow."

Honey grinned. "It's okay. I know that Takashi knows you're grateful of all the help."

 _BA-DUMP._

 _I'll make a visit to the Black Magic Club tomorrow and maybe purchase one of those dolls and write Kyoya-senpai's name._ Haruhi smiled, fighting the nervousness that's trying to surface. "Still, it's better to tell him though."

Honey took one of Haruhi's hands and started guiding her. "Let's get inside so you can rest earlier, ne~?"

"Ha-hai!" She cursed herself for that pitchy tone. "Thank you, Honey-senpai…" She uttered softly.

The small senior simply gripped Haruhi's hand a bit tighter in response and showed her a toothy grin.

…

"He's a _what?!_ " A younger Haninozuka exclaimed.

"Ssshh! Chika-chan, not so loud!" The older Haninozuka hissed.

" _What the hell?!_ "

Honey resisted the strongest urge to roll his eyes at his younger brother. Without a doubt, Honey loves his younger brother. But because of Chika's hatred towards him, Chika has no idea how to interact with him except through fighting and shouting and giving him weird names. Right now, all he wanted was his word that he wouldn't tell a single soul about Haruhi's real gender. "Chika-chan. You have to promise."

"Mou!" Chika sighed irritably. As much as he wanted to tell his older brother to piss off and it wasn't his business, he just couldn't do it. Looking at his older brother's serious face made him think twice. Maybe Haruhi-senpai had a reason why? "Fine fine, I get it. Okay. I won't tell anyone." Honey grinned at that. "Although I'm pretty sure no one would bother asking me that…" He added.

"Be nice, just for tonight, okay?"

"Yeah, whatever." And just like that, the Chika left Honey's room.

…

 _ **To: Kyoya O.  
Subject: You…**_

 _Don't start thinking that I'm gonna owe you anything after this._

 _ **Haruhi**_

 _ **From: Kyoya O.  
Subject: Definitely not.**_

 _Has something happened already? Well I wasn't expecting you to be so bold. I'm gonna have to file this._

 _ **Kyoya**_

 _ **To: Kyoya O.  
Subject: As if…**_

 _Nothing happened! I'm in one the guest rooms, wallowing in my pain._

 _ **Haruhi**_

 _ **From: Kyoya O.  
Subject: …sure?**_

 _Are you okay? You sure nothing happened?_

 _ **Kyoya**_

Haruhi giggled at Kyoya's response. Yep, he's definitely a nice person under all that evilness.

 _ **To: Kyoya O.  
Subject: Sure.**_

 _You sound like my Dad, hahaha. Yes, I'm okay. No, nothing happened. My headache hasn't really left me yet but it's bearable._

 _ **Haruhi**_

 _ **From: Kyoya O.  
Subject: Don't be shy.**_

 _Don't hesitate to ask for anything over there. You can't possibly leave the club for a week. We'll lose profits. And I'm pretty sure it isn't in any of your interests for your debt to be raised._

 _ **Kyoya**_

 _ **To: Kyoya O.  
Subject: Thanks, Kyoya-senpai.**_

 _Thank you for your concern, Kyoya-senpai =) I'll get some rest now. See you tomorrow! Xo_

 _ **Haruhi**_

She truly was enjoying the soft mattress, plush pillows and the thick duvet. The slight heat was somehow helping her menstrual pains. _A heat compress would be wonderful…_

She heard someone knocking on the door. "Ha-hai?" She called out from under the duvet.

"Haru-chan. It's me."

 _OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG._

She took deep breaths before saying, "Ah. Come in, Honey-senpai." She poked her head out from under the duvet and saw the small senior carrying a small box. "What's that, Honey-senpai?" She asked, slowly lowering the duvet.

He placed the box on the bedside table. "It's our box of medicines~." He opened the lid and it revealed a three-tiered organizer full of pills, tablets and some unfamiliar medicines.

 _Rich bastards…_ "Ano… Honey-senpai?"

He turned to her with a toothy grin. "Yes, Haru-chan~?"

"If it isn't too bothersome… can I ask for some heat compress?" She asked meekly. She was sure that he could see her blushing. She could feel the hotness on the tips of her ears. _Curse you Kyoya!_

Honey giggled, earning an inquisitive glance from Haruhi. Honey affectionately patted her head which made Haruhi blush even more. "You don't have to look so shy Haru-chan~! Don't worry, I'll get one for you~!" He pressed a button that was on the top right corner of the bedside table. In a few seconds, a knock was heard.

"Fujioka-sama? You called?"

Haruhi's eye twitched. _So much for actually getting it for me…_

"Come in~!"

The door was opened revealing one of the Haninozuka's maids. "Ah, Mitsukuni-sama. What can I help you with?"

"Haru-chan needs a heat compress. Send it over quickly, ne~?"

The maid bowed. "Hai, Mitsukuni-sama. I'll be right back." The maid quickly left, once again leaving Haruhi and Honey in the room.

Honey sat on the edge of the bed and looked at the brunette in front of him whose face was still red. He found that amusing but again hid it with his childish appearance. "Is it that bad?" He asked.

Haruhi shook her head. "It's bearable. But there are days where I just… don't wanna do anything at all."

"I don't see or hear my mom complain about it. And I don't get to see my female cousins since they're all scattered…"

Haruhi giggled. "I'm okay, Honey-senpai. Really. It's not something deadly."

"Fujioka-sama? Mitsukuni-sama? The heat compress."

"I'll get it Haru-chan~!"

Haruhi propped herself up with her elbow and found her senior back at the side of the bed, his hand holding out the heat compress. _That was fast…_ She took the heat compress from his hands and placed it on her lower abdomen. Feeling the pain subside was the greatest feeling ever that she let out a huge sigh of relief. "Oh God, that feels really wonderful…" She moaned in contentment. She turned her sleepy eyes to her companion who was giving her a soft smile. "Arigato, Honey-senpai…" She yawned and closed her eyes, absolutely ready to take a short nap before dinner time.

With her steady breathing and peaceful face, he knew she was fast asleep. He had to stop himself from chuckling so he wouldn't risk waking her up. _She must have been tired..._ He just stood there, watching her sleep without a care in the world. Thinking about it, aside from Kyoya, the next person who was actually capable of taking care of Haruhi was his cousin, Takashi. Does Kyoya think that because of Takashi's duty as my bodyguard makes him incapable of taking care of Haruhi? Honey shook his head. _Is there a different reason?_ He was absolutely sure that the tall man wouldn't abandon their secret princess like that. Tamaki and the twins were totally out of the question. Tamaki would smother her. The twins would wear her out. He sighed. _I'm probably overthinking. But then again, it's Kyo-chan…_ He knew the ways of his kouhai. Nonetheless, he was happy that Haruhi was staying over with him and is currently enjoying a good nap. See? He's a good caretaker too!

He took another look at Haruhi's sleeping face. _She's too adorable…_ If he were Tamaki or the twins, he'd definitely take dozens of pictures and hang it on their walls or blow up the photo and hang it somewhere. But he wasn't. What he did? As stealthily as he could, he crawled near Haruhi and… kissed her forehead.

He saw her shift a little. With his agility, he was instantly off the bed and out of the room.

He let out a breath. _That was close… and stupid._

"Mitsukuni-sama? Are you okay?"

He whipped his head to the direction of the voice and saw another one of their maids, arms full of folded blankets. "Mitsukuni-sama?"

He grinned in his usual childish smile. "Try not to make too much noise when you're around this part of the house, okay~?" He instructed with a soft voice and pointed at the door. "Haru-chan needs rest."

The maid nodded. "Hai, Mitsukuni-sama. Do you want me to tell the others too?"

Honey nodded. "Please~?"

"Hai, Mitsukuni-sama." The maid smiled and continued on her way.

Honeys went on his way too, going back to his room and probably do some of his homework while waiting for dinner time.

…

She can feel her own body jiggling a bit. _What the…_ Consciousness was starting to seep through her. She can definitely feel her own body moving without her doing anything… and a certain heat on her shoulder.

"Haru-chan…"

 _Wait, is that…? AM I STILL DREAMING?_

She heard _him_ giggle softly. "Yes, Haru-chan. You're still dreaming."

Her eyes shot open… and saw an amused-looking Honey hovering over her. She could instantly feel her face burning. "Ho-honey-senpai!" She shrieked, instinctively sitting up and almost hitting her senior on the forehead.

Seeing her bright red face made him laugh heartily. It was a rare sight for him to see Haruhi get all embarrassed. She was utterly naïve and level-headed that it was hard for them, especially the twins and Tamaki, to get her worked up. Their charms and advancements never work on her. So seeing her like this all flustered with her eyes as wide as a deer caught on headlights, it was rare and… downright cute.  
"Haru-chan, kawaii~!"

"Honey-senpai!" She scolded her small senior, totally unamused by the entire situation. _Was I drooling?!_

Honey's laugh subsided and looked at his kouhai who was still red on the face. "I'm sorry~!" He said, his voice laced with hidden mirth.

Haruhi couldn't help but glare at him. "Yeah, you are."

Honey chuckled at her response. _Yep, definitely cute._ "I came by to wake you up because it's almost dinner time." He saw Haruhi's eyes widen and her blush subsiding. "You should go and freshen up. I'll wait for you outside, okay~?"

Totally forgetting her earlier embarrassment, she gave him a soft smile and nodded. "Hai, senpai."

Honey jumped off the bed and proceeded to exit her room. "Don't take too long~! I want my cake~!"

 _After 5 minutes…_

He was looking at the maids and butlers doing their work when he heard Haruhi's door open behind him. He turned around and what he saw made him lost all the words that he was supposed to say.

"Do I look okay, Honey-senpai? It was all I could find inside the closet that wasn't too… outrageous."

She was in a white dress that ended just a few inches above her knees. An impression of blooming flowers adorned the dress that started at her waist. Her curves were further accentuated by the lace belt that she wore. She wore blue ballet flats with a ribbon on top as an accent. _Innocence…_ was what he first thought. The color white definitely suited her.

"Honey-senpai?"

He snapped out of his reverie and instantly hugged Haruhi shouting, "Haru-chan~! You're so cute~!"

"Ah-arigato, Honey-senpai…" She said, her face red and somewhat enjoying the close contact yet still cautious that he'd figure out her feelings for him just by this contact.

For the second (or probably third because she totally lost count and just doesn't mind at all) time that day, Honey took one of her hands in his and started leading her to the dining room. "Let's go~! My precious cake is waiting~!"

Haruhi giggled and nodded. "Hai."

After passing through a few rooms and constantly turning left and right, they were finally in the dining room. The sight that greeted her definitely made her mouth water and stomach grumble. "Ahehe… I'm sorry…?" Honey chuckled and leads her to one of the chairs. Honey grinned. "Well it's a good thing I asked for a feast for the three of us, ne Chika-chan~?"

Haruhi looked at the (ridiculously) long dining table and saw Honey's younger brother, Yasuchika, scowling. "Yeah, whatever. Just hurry up, I'm hungry."

Haruhi took the seat directly in front of Yasuchika and Honey sat beside Haruhi. After saying their graces, the three occupants ate in silence. Haruhi was definitely having the time of her life. As much as she hated the rich bastards in the Host Club, she secretly enjoyed the perks of being with them… and that was having scrumptious and high-class dishes. She ate happily, not noticing the looks she was getting from the Haninozuka brothers.

Yasuchika scrutinized Haruhi. The Haruhi in front of him was definitely a girl. Her honey-colored eyes twinkled with happiness. Her skin looked like porcelain. Her brown hair looked soft and shiny. Her entire body frame screamed 'I'm a girl!'. How could he have possibly overlooked this? Of course, when he saw Haruhi the first time in the music room, Haruhi definitely did look like a girl but since she was wearing the boys' uniform, he thought that she just had girly features. Well, he was proven wrong because this Fujioka Haruhi is 100% a girl and definitely did have girly features because she _is_ a girl. Now realizing what Haruhi's true gender is, he couldn't help but think that she looked absolutely cute in that dress. He scowled even more, not liking his own thoughts and looked back at his food.

Honey, on the other hand, was fighting off some demon within him. Just for one day, he'd seen different sides of Haruhi that the other hosts haven't had the pleasure of seeing. They all knew that Haruhi was a sucker for delicious dishes. Whenever they had some sort of event in the club, the hosts themselves never actually get to eat anything as their hands were all full with the girls asking for their attention. When they do get the chance to eat, it wasn't that much because again, they were busy entertaining their guests. They see Haruhi eating and talking naturally. But the Haruhi he is seeing right now is something different – like her defensive walls were down. Her eyes gleamed with satisfaction and somehow he could see gold speckles in them. She was just glowing… and that made his heart move.

He knew deep inside that he loved her. Heck, every single host in the club loved her. Yep, the unmovable Ootori Kyoya included. He loved her because she was different. But despite his love, he kept it under wraps. For what reason? He just thought that his bubbly personality wouldn't suit her. But now, just looking at her like that all dressed up and happy and looking ridiculously cute, maybe he could move forward just a bit while the other two idiots in the club were still unaware of their own feelings.

"Haaa~, I feel so stuffed!" She grinned. "I don't think I can take another bite!"

Honey snapped back to reality. He looked down at his food and visibly flinched, noticing that he barely ate. He got too busy with his thoughts.

"Honey-senpai, you haven't touched your food…" He heard the guilt in her voice.

"No! No Haru-chan! It's not your fault!" He immediately defended, not wanting to ruin the good mood she was in a few minutes ago.

"Then why –"

"I just got too busy thinking, that's all!"

Yasuchika scoffed. "You were too busy looking at her, Mitsukuni." He deadpanned. "You might wanna lock your door at night, Haruhi-senpai." He stood up and left the table, leaving Haruhi and Honey in a somewhat awkward atmosphere.

Haruhi sighed. Maybe she really was imposing on him after all? She has to apologize. "Honey-senpai, I'm sor –"

"I'm sorry, Haru-chan." He said, his voice sounding all too adult-like all of a sudden. "I just…" _Why are my feet cold?_ "I just felt happy seeing you happy and well-rested." He admitted, looking down at his food with a soft smile on his face. "I know you get tired of dealing with the craziness of the club everyday –"

She could not stop her own head from nodding at that statement.

"- and we all really do appreciate you for being there despite what we all do. You've done so much for us so that's why we all wanna pay you back. And now, seeing you truly happy just makes me feel happy and satisfied because you're really special to us… to me."

Haruhi blinked… and blushed.

 _Do not get your hopes up._

 _DO NOT GET YOUR HOPES UP._

 _DO NOT. GET YOUR FUCKING HOPES. UP!_

 _COMPOSE YOURSELF WOMAN AND SAY THANK YOU!_

"H-ho-Honey-senpai…?" She stuttered, her heart beating ridiculously fast. _This is it. I'll die from heart attack._

He looked up, prepared to hear one of Haruhi's blunt responses or her 'You're a good friend, senpai. You're special to me too' response. But what he saw was something different from what he expected. He saw a shy and red-faced Haruhi whose eyes were trained on her fingers fiddling with her dress. "Ari-arigato, Honey-senpai…" She said softly, still not looking him in the eye. "You're…" _Just say it then smile like it meant nothing._ "….special to me too." She bravely gazed at Honey's brown orbs and mustered a smile.

Honey's eyes widened. _Could it be…?_ Not wanting to upset her again, he said in his usual cheery voice, "You're always welcome, Haru-chan~!"

Haruhi nodded and stood up from her seat. "We should go back to our rooms now, Honey-senpai."

"I'll escort you back Haru-chan~!"

"Ah no, it's okay senpai –"

"No no~! I'm pretty sure you couldn't remember the way back, ne~?"

"Well, a bit…"

"Let's go~!"

Hand in hand, they made their trek back to Haruhi's room. It was a silent walk but still a comfortable silence fell upon them.

Honey looked at Haruhi whose eyes were looking at the ornaments in the hallway. Her words kept on ringing in his head. He'd never heard her say that to anybody, or at least to anybody that he knows. He didn't wanna assume. He really didn't. But the way she looked… it was almost like the look on a girl on those love mangas were the girl was about to confess or like say something embarrassing. She was even blushing too which was something so rare. She'd heard her give her thanks to everyone and she never did that. _Could it really be…?_

He grinned.

Experiments are done to make a final conclusion, right?

 _I'm not entirely sure but…_

 _I think I see you a bit clearly now, Haruhi._

…

 **Am I the only here gets all excited about what's to happen next even though I'm the author? Ugh, I don't understand myself =))**

 **Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this one! I'll post the next chapter soon!**

 **Ciao!  
Nana xxx**


	4. Chapter 4

**Pairing:** Haninozuka Mitsukuni x Fujioka Haruhi

Did you guys enjoy the last chapter? I hope you did =) And again, thank you so much to those who reviewed! You guys are the reason why I am so motivated to update =D

Just a head's up: the scene that I'm about to explain from the horror movie, The Ring, will probably not be accurate. It's been years since I've seen that movie and I only remember bits of it so please do forgive me in advance. I can't even remember whether the main character was a girl or a boy so in this chapter, I'm going for a girl. I'm not brave enough to watch it again just for the sake of this chapter =))

…

"Are you feeling better now, Haruhi?" Hikaru asked, sitting on his usual seat beside Haruhi.

Haruhi nodded, her face turning grim while taking out her pen and notebook. "Honey-senpai threatened that if I didn't take any painkillers, he'd shove it down my throat."

Hikaru laughed at Haruhi's expression. "Well, now at least you won't be feeling irritable."

"Where's Kaoru?"

"He went to the club room. Idiot left his Science notebook."

"If you didn't drag me straight home yesterday, I would have had it, idiot."

"Kaoru!"

"Hikaru!"

"KYAH~!"

Haruhi sighed, leaving the idiot twins to their devices.

…

"Haru-chan~!" Honey shouted from the table and patted the empty seat next to him. "Sit between me and Takashi~!"

Hikaru swung an arm around Haruhi's shoulders. "Honey-senpai, you had your fun with her yesterday."

Kaoru mirrored his twins' action. "Yeah. Share, senpai. Share."

Haruhi rolled her eyes. She knew that if she chose to sit between the twins, she wouldn't have her peace and probably steal her lunch. So she chose the most logical one: to sit between her two seniors.

"Haruhi! No fair!" The twins whined and pouted.

"I just wanna eat in peace." She said while opening her bento. "I'm really hungry."

"Even though you ate a lot this breakfast, Haru-chan?" Honey tilted his head, his blonde bangs shifting slightly.

 _How can I possibly notice that?_ Haruhi asked herself, staring at Honey's hair.

"Haruhi. You're staring." Kyoya's stern voice floated through her ears.

She was alerted back to reality and saw a grinning Honey. Embarrassment flooded her but hid it by sending the Shadow King a glare. Still, a tint of red adorned her pale cheeks. _I'm definitely getting that doll from the Black Magic Club…_

A smirk appeared on Kyoya's face, fixing the napkin on his lap. "I was simply stating facts, Haruhi. No need to get so angry."

 _Interesting…_ Honey thought, keeping his childish grin to his face so as to keep appearances. "Where's Tama-chan?"

"He was called to the Chairman's office." Kyoya answered, picking up his knife and fork and started slicing through his dish. "They're probably getting lunch together."

 _ **Honey's Experiment #1:**_

He turned to Haruhi who was immersed in her food. "Haru-chan~?" He pointed at her bento, slightly – _slightly_ – angling his body towards her and sidling just a tad bit – _just a tad bit_ \- closer. "Isn't that our dinner yesterday~?"

"Mmhm. I asked Aya-san to-" She stopped, stiffening a bit.

"Hmm~?" Honey prodded, his childish smile still pasted on his round face. He had to fight that demon that was again slowly rising up the surface.

 _Does he not know?_ Haruhi was having an inner battle – whether to move her leg away from Honey's leg or just stay still and enjoy the contact. The moment his leg softly bumped into hers, she was certain that she could feel some sort of shock pass through her. "Uhh…" _What was I gonna say? Fuck._

If it were possible, Honey's grin grew wider. The monster was reigning, noticing the effects of his experiment. "Did you ask Aya-chan to pack you leftovers from last night, Haru-chan~?"

"Hai." She replied; glad to finally have her brain back. "I saw them in the fridge this morning."

"As long as you're happy, Haru-chan~!" He resumed eating his lunch… and still leaving his leg in contact with Haruhi's.

And Haruhi hasn't even moved her own leg.

 _Results of Experiment #1: Still inconclusive. Reactions – positive._

 _Does it need any further investigation? Yes. Definitely._

…

Haruhi can't feel her face anymore from all the smiling. For some reason, she had a lot of designations today. It was a good thing… but why did it have to happen when she was on her bad days? Her lower back was starting to ache again and she could feel signs of a headache coming. She needed a little breather. "Ladies, excuse me for a little while. I just need to go to the restroom." As she was about to leave the table, she felt that familiar shooting pain on how lower abdomen. She winced and placed a hand on her stomach.

"Haruhi-kun? Are you okay?" One of her clients asked, noticing Haruhi's discomfort.

This garnered the attention of the other hosts. "Yes, I'm okay." Haruhi replied smoothly, not wanting to alert her clients, most especially the guys. "I just really need to go to the restroom. Excuse me." She made her way to the bathroom as fast and as graceful as possible without making it look like she wanted to leave her clients. She just needed a breather, really.

It was one of those times where she silently thanked her rich friends. She was sitting on one of the plush chairs situated inside the men's comfort room. She closed her eyes, relishing the peace and quiet.

"Haru-chan?"

Her eyes snapped opened, recognizing that childish voice. "Honey-senpai?" She turned around and saw her senior, worry etched on his child-like features. "What are you doing here?"

He gave her a once-over, checking for any signs of her being uncomfortable or in pain. "I should be asking you that. Are you feeling okay?"

She could feel her own heart break and melt at the same time, if that were possible. _Why did this person have to be so caring…_ She shook her head and sent him a small smile. "I'm fine, Senpai. I just needed a little breather. It's kinda weird for me to have so many guests today so I got a bit overwhelmed. Plus I really needed to move."

He could sense that something was a bit off, but he just couldn't figure it out. "Do you feel any pain?"

She shook her head again. "I'm okay. Just a little breather, like I said." She stood up from the chair and headed towards her senior. "I should go back now, Honey-senpai. I don't wanna let them wait for too long." She moved past him and was about to open the door when she heard Honey call out.

"Haru-chan?"

She turned to him with those wide chocolate eyes. "Yes, Senpai?"

He grinned at her. "Some hot compress when we get back home~?"

Her eyes widened. She felt her cheeks flush slightly. She kinda liked the sound of 'we getting back home' like they were actually… _Jesus Haruhi. Get over it._ "That'll be nice, Honey-senpai." With that, she left the bathroom and went back to finish her hosting duties before that Shadow King adds more to her debt.

…

"MOM! You have to convince our daughter to stay with me!"

"Honey-senpai. You're not being fair."

"Definitely unfair."

"MOM!"

"Tamaki. Shut up."

"Haruhi darling, you have to stay with your Father!"

"Haruhi! Don't! Tono's just gonna creep up on you!"

"He'll take millions of pictures of you asleep!"

"He'll take a peep when you shower!"

"I WOULD NEVER! SHUT UP YOU DEVIL SPAWNS!"

Ignoring the crazy commotion, Haruhi took her bag and smiled at her small senior. "I'm all set now."

Honey simply put up his usual childish grin and held out his hand. "Let's go~?"

Cheeks flushed and a shy smile, she took his hand and proceeded to head out to the gates and get home, away from the stupid feud inside the Third Music Room.

…

She looked at the overly large couches splayed out perfectly in rows in the room. Carpeted floors, cushioned walls and seats… "Rich bastards…" She mumbled.

"What was that, Haru-chan~?"

She sighed. "Nothing, senpai." She went inside further carrying a hot compress in her hands, inspecting the ridiculously lavish room. She wasn't one for watching movies on a roll but really, a home theater? How is all this lavishness necessary? What about their electric bill? What did it look like? _Honestly, there's no point in thinking things like that, Haruhi._ Deciding to just wait 'til her senior comes back, she went to the first row and eyed the couch situated at the center. She plopped herself on the couch… and found herself shrieking a few seconds after. The couch was ridiculously soft! She felt like she was getting sucked in!

"Haru-chan~? Are you okay~?"

"Ha-hai!" She was pretty sure that from someone else's point of view, she'd look absolutely tiny sitting in one of the large couches.

"I found it~!" Honey bounded out from one of the rooms carrying a DVD. "Haru-chan~! Are you up for some horror~?"

Haruhi was struggling to sit right. The couch was too soft! True, it was utterly comfortable but with her tiny frame, for her it felt like the couch was eating her up! "As long as it isn't disgusting horror ones... ugh, stupid couch…" She replied back with a bit of huff in her voice.

"Have you heard of The Ring~?"

His voice sounded muffled and far away, but she wasn't worried. She knew that he was somewhere in the home theatre, preparing their movie. She leaned back and placed the hot compress on her stomach, enjoying the heat. She closed her eyes, relishing the luxury while waiting for Honey to play their horror movie. She sent a silent prayer to the Gods, praying she wouldn't get any nightmares from this.

Unknown to Haruhi, Honey was at the theatre control room, looking at her small form with calculating eyes. He didn't choose horror just for fun. Basing from Haruhi's reactions: from that one slip of hers calling him by his first name, her bouts of shyness that was accompanied with flushed cheeks, her (nearly unnoticeable) stuttering habit, that leg incident earlier at lunch and that thing she said at dinner yesterday which almost sounded like a confession – he needed more answers therefore, he needed to proceed to his second experiment while Haruhi was still temporarily living under their roof. He knew that somewhere inside that genius and complex brain of hers, there lives a 'Normal Haruhi'; the 'Normal Haruhi' part where it proves that she's really a girl despite her adamant proclamations of her being okay whether she gets mistaken as a boy. "Haru-chan~? I'm dimming the lights now, okay~?" He warned, not wanting to scare her as early as now. He needed to be right beside her and actually see.

"Hai, Senpai!"

He dimmed the lights, pressed the play button and headed straight to the couch where Haruhi was in. He plopped right beside her and grinned. "If Haru-chan gets scared, just hold on to me, okay~?"

 _Can I just hold you all the way?_ She blushed at that thought. Sometimes, her brain was just uncontrollable around him. "…maybe I can borrow Usa-chan?" _What if this movie is really scary? I need something else to hold on to…_

 _Nuh-uh, Haru-chan._ "But," He looked at her with wide and teary eyes. "I need Usa-chan too…"

 _I can just be like Kyoya and blame it all on him for not letting me borrow his toy._ Just as she was about to tell him that she'll be okay, she heard the movie coming to life. "Oh, it's starting." She trained her eyes on the big screen, watching the dark scenes unfold. "Hope it's not too bloody…" She muttered.

 _ **Honey's Experiment #2:**_

"What the hell woman? Just get out!" Haruhi screamed, getting extremely frustrated at the stupid main character. Judging from the camera angles and that scary heart-pumping background music, she knew that shit was about to go down. She clutched Honey's arm tighter, feeling her own heart beating fast at the anticipation, her hot compress long forgotten on the floor. "This damned woman is gonna get killed for real now…" And for a few seconds, the background music was gone, leaving only the television in focus on the screen… in a heartbeat, Sadako came out from the television, crawling towards the main character.

"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Haruhi screamed and hid her eyes with Honey's arms.

Honey could not stop himself from grinning. The side of Haruhi that he was seeing right now was much too amusing. He kept on thinking about his plan but had to push it aside to observe the screaming woman right beside him. She was clutching onto his arm like it was her lifeline. She was pressing her tiny frame onto his side which made him feel all warm and tingly inside. This Haruhi was just too cute to ignore!

He looked back at the screen, remembering the next scene that was about to come up. _Perfect._ He gently removed the hands that were clinging on to his arms and slowly wrapped it around her lithe waist, bringing Haruhi much closer to him. He could see that Haruhi was too engrossed on the movie to actually notice what he was doing. He leaned his face closer to her ear and said, "Come much closer, Haruhi." He whispered huskily.

His husky voice snapped her out from the movie and looked at her senior… whose face was merely inches away from her. She could feel their closeness – his arms around her waist, his sweet-smelling breath blowing against her face… and those lips that were somehow aligned with her slightly opened one. _If I moved closer, I'd probably…_

 _BA-DUMP. BA-DUMP. BA-DUMP. BA-DUMP. BA-DUMP. BA-DUMP. BA-DUMP._

They say that love makes you dizzy. _Now it makes sense…_ Her mind was going on overdrive. A lot of things were happening and it was all too much for her to understand. Why is he doing this? Was there a need for this… proximity? Is it because of the movie? Why is this happening? _What am I supposed to do?!_

"Haruhi~."

Haruhi finally snapped out of her musings, hearing the teasing tone of her senior. She can still hear the horror movie playing but with her mind still on its overdrive state, it was becoming a muffled background noise now. All of a sudden, she heard him chuckle. "Eh…?" She finally managed to say, her head starting to clear and the sounds from the movie getting louder.

He grinned, switching back to his childish self which confused the brunette even more. "I was asking if you were okay, Haru-chan~. Although," His grin turned into a lopsided one… which by the way, made him look handsome and not cute, and cupped her flaming cheeks. "You're looking a bit red. You're not getting sick, are you~?"

 _WHAT IS THIS. WHAT IS THIS. WHAT IS THIS. WHAT IS THIS…_ were the exact phrases that kept repeating in her mind. Her breath hitched and roughly pushed Honey away, her embarrassment escalating. "N-no!" Seeing the shocked face of her senior made her realize what she just did. "I-I'm sorry senpai!" She scooted away, feeling extremely anxious about the situation. "I didn't mean to -! I mean – The movie, you know? And it was really scary and… and…" She trailed off, not exactly knowing how to explain her rude behavior all of a sudden.

In all honesty, Honey was expecting that he'd be pushed away. So Haruhi pushing him away rather harshly was totally okay for him. He expected that since he was way into Haruhi's personal bubble. The one thing that he wasn't expecting was: Haruhi (probably unconsciously) leaning closer while staring at his lips with wonder and longing. He shook his head and looked at the red-faced brunette. He can think about those things later. First, he needs to remedy their current situation before it goes out of hand. He really did get carried away today. She was being extremely cute today. That's kinda hard to resist. "Haru-chan~? I'm sorry." He apologized, looking straight into Haruhi's chocolate orbs.

She had to blink a few times, getting her soul back in place before managing an unintelligible, "Eh…?"

"I just wanted to comfort Haru-chan. You looked scared plus you were hugging my arm and I could feel you shaking! So I thought you were cold!"

"…really?" True enough, the movie really was scary. She didn't even notice that she was using Honey's arm as her clutch to keep herself from running away. Maybe he felt uncomfortable by it? "I'm sorry too, Senpai." A chagrined smile appeared on her features. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable like that. The movie really did get to me."

"No! No!" Honey shook his head, flashing a pleasant smile. "I'm glad that Haru-chan is looking for help. Haru-chan is always so independent so it's okay to lean on someone for a little while, ne~?"

 _He's always so caring…_ Haruhi relaxed, feeling all the negative emotions fly away from her body. She returned his smile and said, "Arigato, Senpai. Although…" Again, she trailed off, not knowing how to express her next thoughts.

Question marks appeared above Honey's head. "What is it, Haru-chan~?"

"A little head's up for the personal contact next time…?"

Honey's eyes widened.

The lightbulb was getting brighter, not fully lit, but it was getting there. Just a little more…

He grinned and gave her a salute. "Hai, Hime~!"

Haruhi chuckled and pointed at the movie screen. Honey followed her finger and saw that the movie screen was devoid of Sadako and dark places – the movie ended without them knowing. "We didn't get to see the ending." She commented.

"You want a replay, Haru-chan~?"

"Nope. I just want some snacks."

A sly smirk appeared on his features. "Is Haru-chan scared~? Wanna sleep with me tonight~?"

Again, her face bursted into a deep shade of red before huffing and looking away. "Now you sound like the twins. It's disturbing."

Honey laughed and grabbed one of her hands. "Let's see if there's still cake in the kitchen~!"

Haruhi let herself be dragged by her small yet strong senior. It was her last night under their roof. Moments like this never appears itself so might as well milk it all the way and enjoy.

 _Results of Experiment #2: Reactions – DEFINITELY POSITIVE. A triple plus._

 _Does it need any further investigation? Yes… although everything seems a bit clear now, it wouldn't hurt to do one more for a clearer conclusion._

Honey looked up to see Haruhi with a contented expression on her face.

 _I see you, Haruhi._

…

 **Was it fun? Was it good? Oh my God I had so much fun making this chapter! I hope you guys had fun reading this chapter too! =)**

 **I'll see you guys again in the next one!**

 **Ciao!  
Nana xoxo **


	5. Chapter 5

**Pairing:** Haninozuka Mitsukuni x Fujioka Haruhi

Again, to all those who took the time to review, thank you so much! =)

 **…**

Haruhi sweatdropped. Seeing her senior like this made her heart ache but really, what else can she do? "Senpai, we see each other everyday." She consoled her small senior.

"But it's not the same!" Honey wailed, ignoring the stares he was getting from the Ouran girls. They were all probably wondering why the loli-shota host was holding hands with the natural host. "N o more movie nights for us!"

A collective gasp was heard. Silk handkerchiefs were being bitten while others were inching their way closer just to hear more of the conversation. Who knew that these two were having some sort of secret affair while the wild host was away?!

Completely oblivious of their surroundings, Haruhi replied, "We'll do more soon, okay? I promise."

Honey perked up a bit at this. "…really?" He asked excitedly, his eyes getting impossibly wider and ridiculously glossier from excitement.

Haruhi nodded with a small smile. "Mmhm. We can invite the others too so that it'd be more fun. The more, the merrier, right?"

"Oh my God… did Haruhi-kun just…?"

"It's the same like Cassanova-kun!"

"Poor Honey-kun!"

"Where's Mori-sama?!"

 _This girl…_ Honey kept the sweet smile on his face even if he wanted shake to Haruhi's brain to help her register what the word 'us' means. He never said anything about inviting their other friends. He was lamenting about the fact that she'll be going back home this afternoon since her father would return today from his trip and they wouldn't be having their movie night just like yesterday. He wanted to be with her! They were talking about THEIR movie night which involved ONLY HIM and HARUHI. "Hai~! Demo," He paused, the intensity of his sweet smile increasing by the second. "We should do _our_ movie night first before the others, okay~?"

"I'm rooting for you, Honey-kun!"

"Surely Haruhi-kun would understand what that meant!"

"Look at Haruhi-kun's face!"

Haruhi never would've imagined Honey actually inviting her to some movie night like it was a date. Yesterday was just something that they've thought about right after dinner so for her, it really didn't mean anything except for just two friends watching a horror movie. But now with Honey asking her like this, even though he never actually said that it was a date, to her it sounded like it was and it made her feel all tingly and out of breath at the same time. "Okay." She replied softly, a blush adorning her pale cheeks.

The Ouran girls were trying their hardest not to scream at the obvious budding relationship between the two hosts. How did things get so steamy between them without them noticing?!

"Ha-ruhi~!"

Her vision was invaded with red. "Hikaru. Kaoru." She smiled at the grinning Hitachiin twins. "Good morning."

"Good morning Hika-chan~! Kao-chan~!" Honey greeted with his usual cheeriness.

Kaoru turned to look at Haruhi who seemed to be in good spirits. "Aren't you a wonderful ray of sunshine today, Haruhi." He teased.

Haruhi rolled her eyes but kept her good-natured smile. "We should go. We don't wanna be late."

"You mean _you_ don't wanna be late." Hikaru corrected.

"You guys go on ahead." Honey said. "I just need to wait for Takashi here."

"Okay. See you later, Senpai." The twins chorused.

Haruhi simply offered a smile and left together with the twins.

Honey waved at the trio before heading back again towards the Ouran gate. See? Asking out the infamous Fujioka Haruhi wasn't that hard. All it takes was just for one to be straightforward! Just like Haruhi. _Although I wasn't completely honest but… eh._ He shrugged, greeting girls who were waving at him.

 **…**

"Isn't this a wonderful occasion? The family gets to eat lunch together!"

Hikaru rolled his eyes at Tamaki's complete exaggeration. "Tono, we always eat together."

"You're just a sad person right now 'coz you weren't here yesterday." Kaoru added, taking a bite of his rather expensive fish.

Tamaki turned his attention to Haruhi who surprisingly took the seat right next to him. Most of the time (no, it's _every time_ ), she declines his offer to take the seat next to him but today was a miraculous day. He was completely on cloud nine. "Daddy is so happy that daughter is finally sitting right where she's supposed to be!"

"It's just so that you'll stop sulking or going somewhere and mope and have Kyoya-senpai blame me for your situation." She deadpanned.

"It can't be helped, Haruhi." Kyoya replied from her other side, not taking his eyes off from his food. "Tamaki becomes a complete child when you say something blunt."

"MOM!" Tamaki whined.

"Well I'm sorry for being blunt."

Honey smirked inwardly at the opportunity.

 ** _Honey's Experiment #3:_**

"It's okay though, ne Takashi~?" Honey added, getting a huge chunk of cake and popping it into his mouth. "It makes Haru-chan really special~!" He shifted his honey-colored eyes at her and grinned. "I love Haru-chan~!"

The twins, Tamaki and most especially Haruhi, choked on the sudden declaration. Kyoya simply settled his gray eyes on their short senior, an indecipherable expression on his face. Mori looked at his cousin with a frown on his face. "Mitsukuni." He admonished.

"Ehehe~!" He giggled, ignoring the indignant shouts and complaints from the twins and Tamaki. He zeroed on Haruhi's face and what he saw made his inner demon try to shake off its shackles. Her virgin lips were puckered and her pale and porcelain cheeks were adorned with a red tint. What intrigued him the most were her chocolate eyes: it was full of confusion and… _fear?_

"Haru-cha –"

"Haruhi."

She trained her glossy eyes to the Shadow King who was just finishing up his plate and placing his napkin on the side. "Let's head to the club room for a little while. I've been meaning to discuss something with you."

Tamaki frowned, somehow knowing that he wasn't dragging Haruhi to the club room simply just for some discussion. Kyoya never really bothered to invite anyone at the club room during this time. It was like some sort of lovers' secret rendezvous! He could feel something bubbling within him, something unpleasant... and he didn't like it one bit. "What will you guys be talking abou –"

The loud screeching of a chair shocked him, interrupting his question… only to find out it was Haruhi's doing. She stood beside the Shadow King and looked at the rest of the boys. "I'll catch up later, okay?" She waved and left together with Kyoya.

 _Results of Experiment #3: Disaster. Total disaster._

 _Does it need any further investigation? Yes but… until I understand Haruhi's feelings, experiments are currently on-hold._

Hikaru glared at their short senior. "Way to go, Senpai." He didn't understand what he was feeling but he knew that he hated Honey's sudden proclamation of his love for her, even if he was just saying that he loved Haruhi's bluntness. The way he said it sounded just so wrong! "Just when she was in really good spirits today, you had to go and say that."

Kaoru could see the jealousy swimming in Hikaru's eyes. He, too, was jealous but somehow he felt that Honey's statement seemed to have some underlying meaning aside from outwardly declaring his 'love for Haruhi's bluntness'. For now, he was just gonna let it slide. Maybe Honey really did mean it like that? "Hikaru," He started, wanting to console his brother. "What's up with you?" He decided to play innocent.

Tamaki and Hikaru stared at him like he was completely out of his mind. "Honey-senpai made my daughter uncomfortable! And now she's off to some secret meeting with mommy!"

Honey ignored Tamaki's comment, knowing that he did make Haruhi uncomfortable. He was seriously bothered by what he saw. More importantly, it seems that Kyoya does know something…

Kaoru shrugged nonchalantly. "You heard Kyoya-senpai. He had something to discuss with Haruhi."

"And you seriously believe his bullshit, Kaoru?" Hikaru asked in disbelief.

The elder twin sighed. "Don't tell me you guys aren't aware of the fact that Kyoya-senpai does have meetings with Haruhi alone after club hours every Friday."

"WHAT!?"

 **…**

"Haruhi."

"….."

Kyoya sighed. He didn't really wanna do this but he had to get this girl out from her funk. "If you don't answer me within the next 15 seconds, I'm adding a 100,000 yen to your debt."

He sees her body tensing up and turns a wide-eyed look at him. "What did you say, Kyoya-senpai?"

Kyoya gestured to Tamaki's usual lounging area during hosting period. "Take a seat first."

Haruhi narrowed her eyes at the couch. "Can we just go to your usual table?"

He smirked at her response. "Why?"

"I wouldn't put it past Tamaki-senpai that he'd recognize my scent and gush about it all week and probably say that I've been missing him which is downright absurd."

Kyoya bursted out laughing at Haruhi's on-point statement. "You amuse me, Haruhi."

Haruhi giggled, taking the couch opposite Kyoya's. "Well, I'm glad to be of use to you, Senpai."

Settling on a soft smile directed at the brunette, he asked, "Are you feeling okay now?"

Well that somehow threw her off. She blinked a few times before finally answering. "Well, yeah, I am. Why wouldn't I be?" She asked, tilting her head to one side.

The Shadow King raised one elegant eyebrow, his gray eyes showing his doubt about the truthfulness of her answer. "Really?" He could see the young girl in front of him trying to figure out what he really meant. When he finally saw the recognition in her eyes, her face became somber but immediately schooled it back to her usual nonchalant-looking appearance. Somehow, seeing her do that made him recognize his own self, constantly putting on masks just to conceal his feelings towards… _That's irrelevant now, Kyoya. Stop._

"What he said simply shocked –"

Kyoya could not stop from rolling his eyes. "Shocked? You looked like you were about to pass out."

Haruhi glared at the man sitting in front of her. "You're exaggerating."

"I do not exaggerate, Haruhi. I'm not Tamaki."

"Well, maybe you're getting infected."

"Hardly."

The brunette looked away, a frown still etched on her face. She knew that the man was relentless but despite that, she also knew that he was simply worried. That brought a smile onto her face. "Thank you, Kyoya." She suddenly said, purposely dropping honorifics.

The Ootori couldn't stop himself from smiling. The way she said his name, her voice laced with fervent gratitude, made his entire being feel light. "You better start learning how to defend yourself, Haruhi. I'm not always there to save you. I might end up giving you a personal debt."

Haruhi openly rolled her eyes at Kyoya's threat. "I doubt you would."

"You really think I wouldn't do that?"

"Nope."

"I'm honored that you think so highly of me, Haruhi."

"I'm not a client."

 _You know me so well, yet…_ He pulled back his sleeve to look at his watch. "We should start heading back to our classrooms."

Haruhi nodded and stood up, arranging her blue blazer. "Thank you again, Senpai." She said.

A smirk appeared on Kyoya's handsome features. "Thinking about that personal debt?"

She returned a smirk of her own, rivaling Kyoya's. "Hardly."

Laughter ensued, leaving a trail of positive aura in the Third Music Room.

Kyoya looked at his small companion, admiring everything about her while making their trek towards their classrooms. _I'd rather give you your happiness, rather than give you my own selfishness._

 **…**

"Haruhi-kun, I swear I won't tell anyone!"

"Me too!"

"Me too!"

Haruhi just sat there, feeling extremely confused about what the girls are saying and whispering. "I… I don't understand…" She looked at the faces of her clients, all looking excited and eager. She leaned closer to whisper to her clients, thinking that it might be something big. "Is… there a secret that I should know about?"

One of her regular clients, Ayuzawa Tamane, sidled closer to the natural host. "Haruhi-kun, you don't have to pretend anymore."

Chocolate eyes zeroed on Tamane's green orbs; confusion meeting anticipation. "Pretend what, Ayuzawa-san?"

"That you and Honey-senpai aren't secretly dating behind Mori-senpai's back!"

Haruhi could feel her own jaw drop. Her senses were shutting down. Her brain was shutting down.

Seeing Haruhi's pale face and speechlessness made everything solid to the girls: Haruhi and Honey were really dating in secret! Tamane and Haruhi's other clients couldn't stop themselves from squealing 'MOE!'. Hearing the girlish squeals that were coming from Haruhi's table, the other girls in the club room instantly understood what it meant and squealed together with them… except for the girls who were in Honey and Mori's table. As much as they support the rumored secret relationship, they didn't want to see their silent wild host hurting.

Honey, seeing the sad looks his cousin is getting after hearing Haruhi's clients screaming looked extremely curious. "Is something wrong~?"

Akamatsu Akiko, Mori's regular, was visibly panicked and started sweating really bad. She looked at her companions for help but then found them looking away from her. _Traitors!_

"Aki-chan~?"

Hearing Honey's heart-wrenching and pleading voice and seeing his wide honey-colored eyes brimming with tears, Akiko couldn't help herself and finally conceded. "I'm sorry!"

"Akiko!"

"Aki-chan!"

"Don't say it!"

Hearing the girls argue piqued his curiosity even more so he pulled his watery-eyed look and looked at his clients. "Don't say what~?" He said while clutching his Usa-chan tighter. "Don't you love me anymore~?" Before letting the girls defend themselves, he cried and went to hug his cousin. "Takashi~! They don't love me anymore~!" He wailed.

Mori patted Honey's pale blonde locks. Times like this, he'd usually offer Honey a slice of cake so that he'd feel better but this time, he actually was curious about their clients' behavior. He deduced that it must have something to do with Haruhi since their clients started acting like this after hearing Haruhi's clients screaming. He became very worried for their natural host and decided to help his cousin coax out the answers from the girls. "I'm still here, Mitsukuni."

Mori's statement brought a knife the girls' hearts. _He doesn't know a thing!_ "Ho-Honey-senpai, we still love you!" Akiko declared, thinking that she might get banned from the Host Club if the other hosts found out that she made Honey cry. "We love you very much, right?" She looked at her friends who were all nodding in agreement. "We just didn't want to hurt you!"

Hearing this made Mori frown. He didn't like the sound of that. "Tell us what's bothering you." He said in his usual deep and gentle voice.

The girls squirmed, not really wanting to say anything. They didn't want to hurt their favorite hosts! "We… really don't want to say anything." Akiko said in a small voice. "It's… not our place to say anything."

"We promise not to get angry or anything, ne Takashi~?" Honey said from Mori's lap. Mori simply nodded in reply. Honey looked at their clients and showed them the smile that won every girl's hearts. "We love you very much~!"

Akiko looked at the pair with skepticism. She's about to tell Mori-senpai that Honey-senpai is dating Haruhi-kun behind his back! "….really?"

Honey and Mori nodded. "Promise~!"

"Aki-chan! Are you serious?"

Ignoring the protests beside her, she started softly, not wanting others to hear her fessing up the rumors to the cousins. "You see, there's this rumor that's been going around ever since this morning. We actually haven't seen it but a lot of the girls did."

"What rumor?" Mori prodded. If it's just a rumor like the others, then it's nothing to wor –

"It's about Haruhi-kun and Honey-senpai secretly dating."

 _Scratch that. That's definitely something worth worrying about._

 **…**

 **I know, I know. It took a long time for me to update. I'm sorry for that. I just started working and I'm swamped with all the things that I have to do and deadlines to meet. I hope you guys understand.**

 **Well, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! =) I'll see you in the next one!**

 **Ciao!  
Nana xxx**


	6. Chapter 6

**Pairing:** Haninozuka Mitsukuni x Fujioka Haruhi

To my loyal readers, thank you so much for your support! You guys really don't understand what you're doing to my fragile heart. THANK YOU!

…

 _CRASH!_

"Dammit…" Haruhi cursed.

Kyoya sighed. _There goes another expensive tea set…_ It was a good thing that the others left early or else they would've made such a huge ruckus over their secret princess. "Haruhi."

"I know." She said while picking up the chunks of broken cups and plates. "I'm sorry."

Kyoya helped Haruhi so that they could go home. The sun was starting to go down. "You seem distracted."

"I am." She said softly.

The young man paused and looked at the brown-haired girl. Haruhi was a strong woman, never admitting her fears and weaknesses… now here she was, openly admitting that she's currently distracted. "Why?" He resumed his task.

"My clients said something today."

"Your clients always have something to say."

Haruhi just decided to brush off the comment. Kyoya was Kyoya. "There's a rumor going around that Honey-senpai and I are dating without Mori-senpai's knowledge."

For the second time in that hour, he stopped and openly stared at Haruhi. "I thought you didn't really care about what people say about you."

Haruhi stood up and placed the tray on the nearest table. "I really don't. I'm worried about Honey-senpai and Mori-senpai."

Kyoya threw the broken pieces in the trash bin. _I should've known…_ "You think they'll react negatively to that?"

She winced slightly, feeling a bit guilty. She knew that her seniors were very rational people. "Well… maybe not but don't you think it'll be bad?"

"Why would it be bad?"

She shrugged, taking a seat on the nearest chair. "Maybe girls wouldn't like to designate them since they all think Honey-senpai is already taken?"

"Actually my dear Haruhi," Kyoya followed suit, taking the chair opposite hers. "You should expect an increase with your clientele. If you haven't noticed, they all gravitate to the twins' incestuous relationship."

 _I should've thought about that._ Haruhi mused. "So they actually support it?"

He nodded. "As weird as it sounds, yes. Although," He settled his elbow on the arm rest and placed his thumb under his chin. Haruhi considered this as his thinking pose. "That's not my concern. I'm more curious as to how this rumor started."

"Maybe someone knew that I was staying over there?"

"That could be a possibility." He finally looked at her with his usual unexpressive eyes. "Have you made any conversations with Honey-senpai that had somehow implicated that you've been to his house?"

Haruhi looked at the glistening chandelier and started thinking. "Hmm… I don't think –" All of a sudden, flashes of Honey asking her for another round of horror movie night. Her cheeks started heating up just by the thought of it.

"Judging by the look on your face, a conversation did happen."

Haruhi literally slapped herself on the forehead. "Ugh. Honey-senpai started it…"

He chuckled, amused by her actions. "What did he say?"

She sighed, feeling embarrassed that she had to spill everything to the almighty Shadow King. But truth be told, it was better that the Shadow King knew rather than the twins or Tamaki. Mori was a good choice too but he was close with Honey so… "He said that he was feeling sad that I'll be going home today and that we couldn't do movie nights anymore."

Kyoya raised an eyebrow. _That sneaky little…_ "That conversation happened when and where?"

"Just this morning, near the gates."

"Well there's the root of your problem. You're not the only people who'll pass through the Ouran gates, Haruhi."

Haruhi looked through the windows. The sun was almost out. _I need to pass by the supermarket too._ She sighed. "Kyoya-senpai, I'm sorry to cut the conversation short but I really need to go."

Kyoya nodded. "I'll take you home." He noticed the narrowing of her eyes and smirked, knowing her thoughts. "Don't worry, I won't add the petrol fee to your debt."

"You better not…"

…

"Mitsukuni."

Honey knew what his cousin wanted. "Takashi, nothing happened okay? We just watched a movie last night."

"Then why?"

The little senior sighed. "It's my fault, okay? I was probably too loud this morning. I told her I wanted to watch another movie with her."

"Apologize."

Honey nodded solemnly. "I will."

…

"Ooooooh Haruhi~! You definitely have to tell Daddy what you did at Honey-kun's house~! Was it big~? Of course it'd be big, oh silly me~!"

Haruhi relished in the blabbering state her father was in. Without a doubt, she missed her cross-dressing father. "Yes Dad, Honey-senpai's house is ridiculously big. We really didn't do anything because I was having my cramps."

Ranka stopped eating and looked at his daughter. Despite being a man, he knew how bad menstrual cramps were. Kotoko would always have one and she'd whine about it the entire day. "Are you feeling okay now?"

Haruhi could hear the deep concern in his voice and she couldn't help but smile. "Yes Dad. Honey-senpai took care of me."

"Ooooooh~, is my Haruhi-chan falling for Honey-kun~?" With Haruhi's apathetic nature towards romance, her response would usually go like 'No Dad, he's just a good friend' or any similar and shorter phrases in that sense. But today was a different day.

His daughter choked on the soup that she was trying to sip. He could see her face flaming and her chocolate eyes that were usually devoid of any intense emotions were now looking extremely alarmed. He could hear her sputtering incoherent sentences that went 'No – no! That's -! NO!'. His 'Daddy senses' were on red alert. He knew this. He exactly knew what this was. His daughter was finally growing up… and it slightly hurt him to know that she was. Wasn't it just like yesterday that she was a little girl doing some grocery shopping for the both of them?

"Dad?"

Ranka snapped out of his own musings and looked at the concerned face of his daughter. "Are you okay? You should rest early today."

Ranka simply patted Haruhi. "Well, it was a long drive. But I'm okay Haruhi-chan. But you know," He leaned closer, a knowing smirk on his womanly features. "I'm more interested in knowing when you started liking Honey-kun, Haruhi."

He heard the banging of utensils against plates. "I can see that you're okay. I'll be in my room when you need me."

The night ended with the Fujioka patriarch trying to apologize to his daughter.

…

"Ugh I really wanna go down and see if they'll come together today!"

"Then why don't you?"

"Duh, can't you see I'm copying your assignment?"

"Sucks to be you. I'm going down and check if Haruhi-kun's with him."

"Haruhi is with who?"

Both girls turned around and saw the famous Hitachiin twins behind them. They looked at each other. _Maybe the twins know something?_ "Ne, Hikaru-san, Kaoru-san, about that…"

"About what?" They replied again in sync.

The girls blinked. "You haven't heard?"

Hikaru had no patience for this kind of game. If they wanted to say something, then just say it. Why can't these girls be like Haruhi for once? "Heard what, exactly?" He asked.

Fuwa Chiyoko, the girl who was about to leave, leaned closer to the twins. "Well, there's this rumor going around that Haruhi-kun and Honey-senpai are secretly dating." She looked at her surroundings, making sure that no one else was listening. "We thought you guys knew since you guys are in the same club but since the rumor says they're _secretly_ –" creating quote signs on the air with her fingers "- dating, maybe they are keeping it on the low."

The twins frowned, Hikaru's being more pronounced. "When did this rumor start?" Kaoru asked this time.

Chiyoko looked at Ihara Yumi, the girl who was copying Chiyoko's assignment. "Yumi-chan?"

Yumi started nibbling on her pen. "Well, I think it was just yesterday. I only heard about it yesterday too."

"What exactly did you hear?" Kaoru inquired.

"And who was this person you were eavesdropping on?" Hikaru followed.

"I'm not sure who they were but I know they were in Kyoya-senpai's class." She placed her pen back on her paper and started writing. "They said that Honey-senpai was talking about some movie night with Haruhi-kun."

The twins blinked. "So let me get this straight…" Kaoru spoke first. "Everyone thinks that they're secretly dating simply because of one movie night?"

"Has anyone even bothered trying to ask either of them what really happened?" Hikaru's frown deepened, not liking the sound of Haruhi secretly dating their short senpai. He was _short_ for God's sake!

Both girls flinched at the angry tone that the older Hitachiin took. Kaoru swung an arm around Hikaru's and leaned lazily against him. His elder twin would know that it was a form of comfort. "You know girls, there's a reason why they probably had that movie night." Kaoru said this time, allowing his twin to cool off.

The girls' eyes widened. "So you guys do know something?"

Hikaru rolled his eyes at that statement. "Duh. Of course we do. We are all in the same club after all." He deadpanned.

The girls ignored the attitude and prodded. "So? What is it?"

"Haruhi's dad went on a business trip for three days." Kaoru decided to just tell the truth. He didn't want false rumors spreading around the campus that his senior and their beloved Haruhi was having a secret affair. Above that, he just didn't want to drag around a grumpy Hikaru everytime the rumor pops up. "He called up Haruhi and asked if he could stay with one of us. Honey-senpai was the only person who was able to accommodate Haruhi since the rest of us had prior commitments."

Chiyoko blinked. "So… they're not dating?"

"Didn't you hear what he just said?" Hikaru countered. _Stupid girls…_

Kaoru shook his head. "No. Just a friend helping a friend."

Yumi looked at Chiyoko and grinned. "That's good news, ne Chiyo-chan? It means Haruhi-kun is still available."

Chiyoko slapped Yumi's arm. "Shut up!"

The twins started to tune out their petty argument and looked for their brown-haired princess… and found her with her head in the books. _Our typical Haruhi…_

…

"Kyoya!"

Kyoya sighed, knowing what the idiot blonde was about to say.

"What is this ridiculous rumor going around that our lovely daughter and Honey-senpai are secretly dating?"

"It's just a rumor, Tamaki. Stop fretting over it."

Tamaki sidled closer to Kyoya. "What if Haruhi knows about it? She'll be hurt!" He whispered.

He shoved the blonde's face away from his. "Haruhi already knows about it and isn't exactly worried. She's worried about what Honey-senpai thinks about it. So again, stop worrying."

Tamaki blinked. "She knows? Since when?"

"Since yesterday."

At this point, Kyoya had to tune out the blonde idiot. He didn't wanna bother and listen to Tamaki's nonsensical ramblings. _Maybe profits will increase today…_

…

"The rumor is getting really out of hand." Kaoru commented. "It's like every girl who sees Haruhi looks like they're about to pass out." Kaoru turned to Haruhi with a teasing glint in his eyes. "You're becoming more popular than our idiot King. You should be our new King."

Haruhi glared at the red-head. "Don't even think about saying that to Tamaki-senpai."

"Still scared of your debt, Haruhi?" Kaoru teased. "You know we can always pay it for you, ne Hikaru?"

The two teens turned and saw a sullen-looking Hikaru. _This is bad…_ Kaoru thought. Hikaru always had problems with controlling his negative emotions. "Hikaru?" He heard Haruhi call out. "Are you okay?"

"I should be asking you that." Hikaru said in an irate manner, which somehow ticked Haruhi off.

As much as she tolerated the twins' selfish behaviors sometimes, she has her days where she doesn't wanna take shit from them. And today was one of those days. "What is your problem?" She answered back, irritation clear in her voice.

Kaoru could seriously sense and smell danger coming from his twin and best friend. "Guys…"

Hikaru faced Haruhi with his amber eyes raging with untold anger. "Again, I should be asking you that." The trio were now in one of the school's halls. Kaoru could see that some people were starting to look at them. He stepped in between the two glaring teens and firmly held them from their shoulders. "You guys need to stop. People are staring."

Haruhi shrugged off Kaoru's firm hand and continued glaring at the heated twin. "Maybe you should ask your twin why he's being an ass all of a sudden when I'm just here honestly concerned."

"Maybe you should try asking yourself why you're enjoying all this attention and rumors about you and Honey-senpai dating!" Hikaru finally shouted, unable to contain his pent up anger. The gasps surrounding him were unregistered in his brain.

Kaoru, who stood in the middle of it all, looked at his brother like he was starting to become insane in the brain. He was left speechless. Who in the world would say that to their own best friend? He stared at Haruhi. She looked extremely appalled. _She doesn't know!_ "Hikaru!" He shook his twin. "Haruhi doesn't know!"

 _SLAP!_

Hikaru could feel the burning sting on his left cheek. No one – _no one_ – has ever slapped him before. "…..Haruhi…" He turned to face the brunette. What he saw shocked and pained him. In front of him was a crying Haruhi; brown eyes rimmed with redness and tears and cheeks flushed with anger. Then he realized… that this was the second time that he made her cry, which pained him even more. "Haruhi. I – "

"I hate you." Her voice low and cracked and filled with intense hate. "I hate you." She turned away and ran.

Even if he knew that the words weren't directed to him, it felt painful. A surge of anger shot through him and glared at his impulsive twin. "Look at what you've done, Hikaru." Without looking to see his twins' reaction, he ran and followed Haruhi's trail.

 _No…_ Hikaru thought. He could feel his eyes stinging. He could feel his cold blood running through his veins. He could feel the pounding headache getting into his brain. He could actually feel Haruhi slipping from him. He didn't want that. But all he could do was stare and realize how big his mistake was.

 _No…_

…

 **Did you guys like it? Again, sorry for uploading chapters late. Work has been too harsh on me! =( But I'm thankful for weekends since it lets me clear my mind and actually work on making more chapters for you guys. Hope you guys enjoyed this one! =)**

 **Ciao!  
Nana xxx**


	7. Chapter 7

**Pairing:** Haninozuka Mitsukuni x Fujioka Haruhi

I hope you guys will enjoy this one! =D

…

To our lovely ladies,  
Host Club is closed for today. We apologize. We'll be open tomorrow with a wonderful theme prepared for you. Please do enjoy the rest of your afternoon.  
\- Host Club

"This must be about that rumor, ne Takashi~?"

"Ah."

Together, they opened the oak doors. The little senior was expecting some sort of heat coming from Hikaru and Tamaki. They're both pretty possessive with Haruhi and obviously didn't wanna share. The atmosphere that engulfed him as the doors fully opened was something that he didn't really like, like there was some sort of evil electricity in the air and that subtly made his spine shiver. Kyoya was on one corner, holding his phone against his ear. That didn't really strike him as something odd. What he found odd and slightly alarming was the look on Tamaki and Kaoru's(or maybe Hikaru, he still couldn't figure out which is which) face and their heated glares directed at a forlorn-looking Hitachiin. He knew that something was wrong.

"What's going on~?" He asked. He scanned the room and found no brunette in sight. "And where's Haru-chan~?"

"We don't know." Kyoya replied, snapping his phone shut and placed it on his pocket. "Some idiot red-head here – " The Ootori sent a dark look at the dejected twin who in return flinched at the sight of it. "- insulted Haruhi. In result, she cried and ran away. We can't find her anywhere."

Mori frowned at that. He looked at the guilt-stricken twin. "How long ago was this?" His baritone voice echoing in the silent music room.

"Just… a few minutes ago." Hikaru answered timidly, not liking the attention that the stoic man was giving him. He wasn't used to it.

"She couldn't have gotten that far." Mori deduced.

"That's what I thought also." Kyoya pressed a few keys in his laptop. "My guards couldn't find her anywhere. She's not even at home."

Kaoru snapped his fingers and looked at the Shadow King, hope gleaming in his amber eyes. "What are the nearest places here in Ouran?"

Kyoya shook his head. "I doubt she could find shelter in the cemetery a few blocks from here."

Something in Honey's brain clicked. "Do you know the name of the cemetery where Haru-chan's mother was buried?"

Kyoya wanted to slap himself on the forehead. But he didn't. He wouldn't be an Ootori if he did that literally. He decided to waste no time and checked on the name of the cemetery.

Honey flipped his phone open and started dialing Haruhi's number. As expected, she wouldn't pick up her phone. He was getting worried… and extremely pissed at the stupid Hitachiin. In a flash, Honey had the eldest twin in a headlock that made everyone in the room gasp, except for Kyoya who was still busy looking up at the records.

"Honey-senpai!"

"Senpai! Stop!"

 _This is it. I'm actually going to die._ He knew of the consequences if one were to actually dare cross the Haninozuka. He may not have directly provoked the small senior but the fact that he hurt their secret princess, Haruhi, made it more than enough for him to snap and be on the receiving end of his torturous ways.

"What did you do?"

Gone was his high-pitched, sweet voice. He had never heard Honey's voice like that – dangerous, feral… _deadly_.

Kaoru, panicking over his brother's state, decided to answer for him. "Hikaru screamed at her!" He said in a shaky voice. "He was upset over the rumors between you and Haruhi dating!"

 _Ah. So it's the hot-headed twin._ "What did you say?" He asked again.

He started to answer again for his twin, but was cut off when Honey's deathly glare was directed at him. He felt his own breath stop at the sight. "I asked him. Not you."

Hikaru yelped at Honey's tightening grip. He could feel his fingers getting cold at the lack of air supply.

"I suggest you start answering Hitachiin." Kyoya finally joined the small group and looked at Hikaru with indifference. "I don't think you want your head to snap off any second now."

Honey felt a large hand settle on one of his shoulders. "Mitsukuni. That's enough."

"You better start talking, Hitachiin." Honey said before relinquishing his hold on the older twin.

Hikaru immediately dived straight to his twin whilst breathing in air greedily. "Are you okay?" He heard his twin ask.

Hikaru opened his mouth to respond, but instead was interrupted of a mobile phone ringing. He looked around and saw the Shadow King pull out his phone from his pocket and bring it straight to his ear. "Did you find her?" His grip on Kaoru's blazer tightened. _Please…_

"Okay. We'll be on our way. Make sure she doesn't see any of you."

Tamaki, who miraculously stayed silent for most of the ordeal, stepped closer to Kyoya. "Well, what are we waiting for?"

Kyoya nodded. "Let's go."

…

"Okaa-san, you know I love you, but why did you have to send me a bunch of rich idiots?" She mumbled as she stared on the headstone with her mother's name on it. It was in this exact same place, right after her intensive research using the twins' laptop, that she came to realize her feelings for her senior. It was always in this exact same place that she'd be able to find peace within herself after a day full of raging emotions. Not only was it quiet and peaceful, the garden outside her mother's place was definitely a scene worth looking at. _Well, that place is thanks to 'them'..._ She sighed heavily and continued to stare at the headstone with her thoughts heavy about the Host Club.

 _KNOCK! KNOCK!_

Her eyes looked at the window and saw that it was still bright outside. _I'm still allowed here. Why is the caretaker here then?_ She heard more knocking and sighed. "Just a second!" She straightened her blazer and uniform before pulling the heavy wooden door with a groan. "Asahara-san, it's still bright out –"

"Haruhi."

Whatever she was about to say, it was stopped. Standing right in front of her were the six rich idiots that she had to deal every single day of her high school life. She was about to tell them to leave her alone and stay away but then remembered where they were… a frown appeared on the brunette's features. "How did you guys find out I was here?" She asked, scanning the expanse of her mother's resting place, looking for the guards that was supposed to be on the clock for rounds.

Kyoya, noticing her wandering eyes, decided to enlighten her. "If you were looking for the guards stationed here, they allowed us to pass through."

This caused the frown on Haruhi's face to deepen. She wanted to ask how they managed to pass through without any verification from her but considering that the rich idiots in front of her were a part of the upper echelon, that was probably more than enough for the guards. A headache was starting to build. Kyoya hadn't exactly answered her question. She sighed heavily and looked at her friends. "Look, I'm tired. I'll just pay my respects to my mother then we'll leave. As much as I don't want to see _some_ –" She sent daggers to the eldest twin, who in return flinched at her dangerous look. "- of you right now, I don't think I'll be allowed to leave without any answers."

The Shadow King simply nodded. "We'll leave you here for a few –"

"NO WAIT!"

Tamaki's panicked scream garnered the attention of everyone… and Haruhi's murderous glare. "Tamaki-senpai –"

"I want to introduce myself to your mother, Haruhi."

That sentence sent her irritation towards the idiotic King down the drain and was replaced with curiosity. "Why?" A flashback of him sitting in front of her mother's altar in their apartment passed through her mind. "Didn't you already introduce yourself to her before?"

A sheepish smile appeared on Tamaki's face and his hands started to do this Tamaki-like weird gestures whenever he's unsure of something. "Ah well, you see, uhh, here is different you know? Uhh, your mother is, uhh…" He looked at the twins with his wide-eyed puppy look, silently begging for help.

The red-heads felt alarmed at Tamaki's look. _We don't even know what you really wanna say, you idiotic King!_

"Haru-chan?"

Everyone's eyes darted to their small senior who had a soft smile on his baby features… and made Haruhi's heart skip a few beats. "I think what Tama-chan is trying to say is that he wants to pay his respects to your mother's remains. Tama-chan probably wants to say something too so this is the best place where your mother can possibly hear him."

Mori nodded, agreeing with his cousin's explanation. "Ah."

Tamaki beamed at his seniors. He was thinking the exact same thing! _Good job neighbors!_

Haruhi blinked. "Oh. Oh…" She wasn't expecting that. She knew that Tamaki has his soft sides but she wasn't expecting it to show today, but she wouldn't think about that. She was honestly touched by his thoughts… _Is this why you sent them to me, Okaa-san?_ She wouldn't have her idiots any other way no matter how much they annoyed her. She sent Tamaki a small smile of her own which made him blush. "Just be quiet, okay? And don't take too long."

"Haru-chan~!" The short senior piped in. "Can we all go in~?" He, too, also wanted to visit the grave of Haruhi's mother. It was always best to follow traditions; to directly ask the parents if the guy was allowed to pursue their daughter in a romantic relationship. Getting an answer from the Fujioka matriarch would be impossible but still, it wouldn't hurt to be respectful and at least show (to her spirit, maybe?) to Haruhi's mother that he was truly serious about her daughter. He was raised that way by his parents and he will stand by it.

The brunette tilted her head to one side, curiosity in her brown eyes but decided to just let them be. "Well sure, why no – "

"Although~," Honey interrupted the petite girl purposely and trained his honey-colored eyes to the (was he looking at the correct twin?) the eldest Hitachiin and grinned. "I think Hika-chan should stay with Haru-chan out here while we pay our respects inside, ne~?"

Hikaru had to summon all his willpower not to scream and run from his senior's smile. From an outsider, the small boy would have looked irresistibly cute but to the people who personally knew this _small boy_ , well, let's say it was something you don't want directed at yourself because you know death is just lurking around the corner ready to get you… "Sure, why not…" The eldest Hitachiin replied, sweat starting to form on his palms.

Before the Host Club King could sputter his protests of the evil twin hanging around his pure daughter, the cousins hauled the blonde prince, leaving no arguments.

As soon as the doors shut, an awkward silence floated over the two teens. Haruhi, still feeling a bit irked at Hikaru's accusation, decided to completely ignore the hot-headed twin and just wait for the hosts. Hikaru, whose pride is as high as Mt. Fuji, decided to swallow everything and apologize. _Maybe Honey-senpai is giving me the chance to apologize…_ "Ha-Haruhi," He had to cringe at sound of his squeaking voice.

The tilting of her head towards his side told him that she was listening but still not talking to him. She's giving him the opportunity to explain himself. Clearing his throat and mustering up more courage, he turned to face her. "I… I'm sorry." He uttered softly. "I… I shouldn't have accused you like that without asking you first if you knew about the rumors." Still hearing no response, he continued. "I'm sorry for shouting at you." Still no response. He sighed. _I totally screwed up this time…_ "I really am sorry, Haruhi. Please," His voice cracked at this point, feeling the familiar sting on his eyes. "Forgive me."

"I forgive you."

Hearing her usual monotoned voice pleased him… but she was still not looking at him. "…..really?" He asked.

Haruhi sighed and looked at Hikaru for the first time since his apology. "Really. I know that you're a complete hothead – "

 _STAB._

"- and an absolute irrational being most of the time – "

 _STAB._

"- but still, you're one of my closest friends –"

 _STAB STAB STAB._

"- and I wouldn't want that we'd just stop talking just because of some stupid misunderstanding."

Hikaru stood there, not quite sure if Haruhi has actually forgiven him or maybe she has but was just purposely saying those things to spite him. He knew Haruhi wasn't a vengeful woman but seriously… maybe the Gods were testing him?

"I'd like to apologize also."

"For what?"

Haruhi stepped closer and placed her small hand on his left cheek… which strangely sent tingles all over Hikaru's body. He knew his blush was in place but it seemed that the brunette was completely unaffected. _Damn her…_ He thought. "For slapping you." Haruhi sighed and placed her hand back to where it belongs. Strangely, again, even though her hand wasn't there anymore, Hikaru could still feel the warmth from Haruhi's small hand.

"I know I shouldn't have done that but," She looked away, not really knowing how to explain her actions. "I was just so angry, you know? I was so concerned then you just blew up on me like that. I found it extremely rude." She shrugged. "Then there was that issue with me and Honey-senpai dating."

Hikaru blinked. _So she…?_ "So you knew about the rumors then?"

The brunette couldn't help but roll her eyes. "Hikaru. Not to sound like I'm bragging or anything but the fact is that I'm in the Host Club. The Host Club consists of six rich idiots –" She heard a protest from Hikaru but completely ignored it. "- and those six rich idiots are a part of the 'Japan's Richest Families' list. You guys are being monitored 24/7. Since I'm with you guys almost everyday, I sort of got into the picture and now people are talking about me too."

The redhead had to chuckle at that. It was true. "Sorry, I just wasn't expecting you'd know about it since you never bother with rumors like that."

Haruhi finally smiled. The obstacle was finally crossed over. "I don't. Girls were outright asking me in the corridors whenever they see me."

Now Hikaru laughed at that. The heaviness in his heart was finally gone. Haruhi was back. Everything was okay. "Wow Haruhi," He swung an arm over her shoulder and looked at her with mischief in his eyes. "It seems like you're becoming famous like Tono. How about we play a prank on him and say that he's not the Prince of the Host Club anymore?"

Haruhi would've agreed… except that whatever damage that Tamaki would make, it would all go straight to Haruhi's ever-growing debt. Yes, she assumed. Yes, she's 100% positive that the Shadow King would do that to her.

"Well, it seems like you guys are back to being buddies again."

As she was about to reply, the elder Hitachiin was instantly gone from her side and was replaced with a wailing hyena who was hanging onto her like a koala… "Tamaki-senpai – "

"KAORU! TEACH YOUR TWIN TO HOLD IN HIS RAGING HORMONES FOR MY BEAUTIFUL DAUGHTER!"

Gone was the peace of her mother's resting place. She escalated from 0 to 100 in a second. She pushed the dumb prince off her with a strength that wasn't usually associated with a lithe body like hers. Suoh Tamaki, Prince of the Host Club, was now unconscious… and face stuck to the tree trunk. "I can tolerate your stupidity anywhere." Her voice, low and deadly. "Just don't bring your stupid brain here in my mother's resting place."

It was at that moment that the secret princess of the Host Club was officially entitled as the "Third Demon of Ouran Academy Host Club".

…

"Thank you so much for the ride, Honey-senpai."

Honey shook his head and simply gave her small smile this time. "No, thank you for giving us the chance to say hello to your mother."

And here she was again, falling all over… _again._

Honey could feel the shift within her. Blame it on his trained instincts. There was something in her eyes… and he couldn't quite understand what it was. "Haru-chan?"

Haruhi jumped and quickly shifted her eyes away from the small blonde. _Jesus Haruhi, get a hold of yourself…_ "Yeah yeah, uhh, you're welcome…" She replied softly.

He knew that there was something on her mind but the answers would have to wait. She needs rest. He took her right hand and grasped it firmly within his own hand. He could see the blush starting to form on her cheeks, he could feel her own pulse from her wrist… _Not now, Mitsukuni._ "Haru-chan, don't hesitate to run to us if you're having any problems, okay? We were absolutely worried earlier."

Haruhi sighed. "I know, and I'm sorry. I was just so angry at Hikaru that I had to get away." She explained.

Pink flowers started to appear at Honey's back. The cheery Honey-senpai was finally back. "You should go now and get some rest Haru-chan~!"

Haruhi giggled. His cheerful disposition was just so contagious. "Thank you again for today, Honey-senpai. Let's both get some rest."

"Hai~! Goodbye Haru-chan~!" And before she can utter a reply, Honey jumped and placed a swift yet sweet kiss on her cheeks. "See you tomorrow, Haru-chan~!"

The small and sly demon skipped his way back to his limo. Before he jumped inside his luxurious car though, he looked back at Haruhi's apartment… and could see Haruhi still standing there with her jaws hanging and her face completely red. The demon smirked, completely satisfied with the reaction. He knew he was being cruel but really, his inner demon just can't help but do it. He finally jumped inside his car and instructed the driver to drive back home.

 _Results of Experiment #4: Reactions were positive, absolutely satisfying to look at._

 _Does it need any further investigation? Well hell yeah._

…

 **And there you have it everyone! Did you guys enjoy this one? I hope you did. I know it's been awhile guys, I know. I'm terribly sorry. Work has been taking up so much of my free time that I can't even sit down and write. I've been trying so hard to finish chapters for both of my stories. To those who gave reviews and supported my stories even though they haven't been updated for a long time, I wanna say THANK YOU SO SO SO SO SO MUCH. I know how it feels to read a story and waiting for the next chapter to come up. Thank you all so much for your support. You guys are the greatest. I won't promise for the next chapter to come up next week but surely, I will finish this one and my other story. It will take some time but I will finish both.**

 **Once again, thank you so much everyone! I hope ya'll enjoyed this chapter!**

 **Ciao!  
Nana xxx**


	8. Chapter 8

**Pairing:** Haninozuka Mitsukuni x Fujioka Haruhi

I hope you guys will enjoy this one! =D

…

"Oh my God, is Haruhi-kun alright?"

"Ssshh! He might hear you!"

"Is he stressed?"

"Did Haruhi-kun and Honey-senpai break up already?"

"Haruhi-kun is like a zombie…"

That last statement made the brunette stop in her tracks and look at the group of girls who were _loudly_ gossiping at her. The girls stood there absolutely stunned and horrified.

"Do I really look that awful?"

The girls could hear their own hearts breaking. Their natural host sounded so desolate, tired… _broken_. They needed to do something to bring back their happy natural host!

"No Haruhi-kun! You look incredibly dashing as always!"

The other girls nodded in unison and with gusto. "In fact, you look rather different today!" One of the girls added.

Haruhi seemed unimpressed. "Of course, I look different." She replied. "You guys just said I looked like a zombie." She deadpanned.

The girls' eyes turned wide as donuts.

"NO HARUHI-KUN!"

"Absolutely not! Who in their right mind would say that?!"

"I'll punish the person who said that!"

Haruhi had to laugh at their misplaced indignance. The girls once again were stunned by Haruhi's unusual behavior. "Sorry," Haruhi said in between giggles. "Honestly, I know that I do look awful." She said after finally straightening herself and looking straight at the girls in front of her. "I wasn't able to get enough sleep last night." She admitted.

"Why, Haruhi-kun?" One of the girls asked.

One of the girls snapped her fingers, eyes alighting with recollection. "Is it because of the fight you had with one of the twins yesterday?"

Haruhi shook her head. "No. Just that I've been studying a lot." Haruhi sent them a smile which made the girls' heart melt. "I've got to work hard to keep my scholarship, you know?"

"KYAAAAHH~! HARUHI-KUN, I'LL LOVE YOU AND SUPPORT YOU ALL THE WAY~!" Haruhi laughed at their exuberance. It was still so early in the morning yet these girls were so full of energy that it was contagious. Her body felt a bit lighter and felt like she could at least pull through the entire morning class sessions without her mind flying off.

"Thank you –"

"Ara, what is this Haruhi? Finally changing your mind about what I offered yesterday?"

Hearing Hikaru's voice, she turned around and greeted the twins. "Good morning Hikaru, Kaoru."

"My God Haruhi, you look like a disaster!" Kaoru commented, his eyes zeroing on Haruhi's dark circles and pale complexion. He stepped closer and placed a hand on the brunette's forehead. "Do you feel sick?"

The close interaction between the twins and the natural host made the girls go cray and squeal in delight, their minds running off into the fantasy world.

The hosts took this opportunity to finally run off and proceed to their classrooms in relative silence.

"So… seriously Haruhi, answer us," Kaoru prodded. "Did you pull an all-nighter last night?"

Haruhi sighed, feeling her body getting heavier every step she takes. "Yeah, just some studying that I needed to do."

"Do we have a quiz coming up?" Hikaru asked, scratching his head. "You never study this hard unless one of our professors schedules a quiz."

Kaoru stopped in his tracks, his brow furrowing in deep thinking. "Now that you mention it…"

Hikaru's eyes widened in alarm. "Are you kidding me?! We actually have a quiz scheduled that I didn't know about?!"

"Hika-chan~! Kao-chan~! Haru-chan~!"

The first-year trio turned to see their two seniors, Honey-senpai and Mori-senpai. "Good morning everyone~!" Honey greeted them with his usual cute demeanor and exuberance.

"Good morning." Mori said in his usual deep-toned voice.

"Ah, good morning Honey-senpai, Mori-senpai." The twins greeted in sync.

Mori's steely gray eyes strayed onto the small form of Haruhi… and frowned. She wasn't looking well with the dark circles absolutely clear as day on her pale face but that slight red flush on her cheeks… maybe she just lacked sleep? And her lip… she was biting it. "Haruhi." He called out. Seeing her flinch and her eyes turn wide in alarm made him suspicious, but still said nothing.

"Hai, Mori-senpai?"

He slightly tilted his head.

Haruhi noticed this miniscule movement and understood what he was trying to ask. "I'm okay Mori-senpai." She answered. "I slept late last night."

The twins had to look back and forth between their two friends, one question ringing in their minds: _She actually understood that?_

"Eh~? Why~?" Honey butted in.

Just hearing his cutesy voice made her heart beat faster and flashbacks of what happened yesterday between them just seemed to appear in front of her. Her own throat constricting and her mind shutting down, she did what she though was wise: make reason and run away. "SorryIhavetogoIgottausethebathroombye!"

The four men watched the small brunette run away like her life depended on it. Hikaru, who was as obtuse as ever, scratched his head. "Is she really okay?" He looked at his twin who was also looking at the retreating brunette. "Maybe we should convince her to stay at the clinic this morning?"

Kaoru though, seemed really suspicious. He had never seen Haruhi run away like that before, not even when their Shadow King threatened to raise her debt even more. Something was definitely going on…

"Kaoru?"

"Yeah," Kaoru replied hastily, looking at his brother. "She did seem a bit flustered, don't you think so," He shifted his suspicious gaze towards their small senior. "…Honey-senpai?"

Honey knew what the smarter twin was doing but _oh no,_ he wasn't giving in that easily. "Yeah, maybe Haru-chan should just go home instead~?" Playing innocent was his best skill.

Mori, the most astute of all the members, could feel the tension between the younger twin and his cousin. Haruhi's actions were a red flag and somewhere in his gut, he knew that it was because of his cousin.

"Kaoru, let's go." Hikaru prodded. "We shouldn't leave her alone like that."

Kaoru nodded and sent one last accusing look at their small senior before leaving.

"Mitsukuni."

Honey knew what his cousin wanted… but he didn't want his secret to be out yet. He wanted all of those short moments between him and Haruhi to be just theirs. "Takashi," Honey started, looking at his cousin with sincerity written all over his face. "I'll tell you one of these days, okay?"

Mori squinted.

Honey grinned in return. "Don't worry. I won't get myself in trouble."

' _Trouble always follows as long as it involves Haruhi and a guy.'_ Was Mori's last thought before following his cousin.

…

"Fujioka-kun. I suggest you go and rest in the clinic."

Haruhi's eyes widened in alarm. "Sensei, I was absent last week. I can't possibly miss your class again."

Amari-sensei's eyes softened at the young girl. She truly admired Ouran's special student. She was so independent, responsible, hard-working and wasn't easily swayed by money or status. She knew that her student was afraid that her grades might drop if she misses more of her classes but no, health is always important. "Health is wealth, Fujioka." She sent a sincere smile towards Haruhi. "I'm pretty sure you can keep up. Now go and get some rest. I'll assign the Hitachiin's to copy some notes for your missed classes today."

Haruhi heard the compliment and was truly happy but really, she can't keep missing her classes! "Sensei –"

"Now Haruhi," Hikaru grabbed the brunette's left arm and linked it around his.

"I think it's disrespectful to disobey a teacher's order." Kaoru did the same with Haruhi's right arm.

Haruhi groaned in defeat.

"Let's go~!"

 _Okaa-san, why is this happening?_

…

"Look, we'll visit you as soon as the last period ends, okay?"

Not hearing any reply from the brunette, the twins silently left her small sanctuary before letting out the giggles that had been threatening to be let out minutes earlier. Apparently, a sulking Haruhi was a ridiculously cute Haruhi.

As she heard the door of her room close, the frown marring her angelic face deepened. _If it weren't for that short blonde yesterday, I would've been fine and dandy today!_ Her dark thoughts were soon interrupted when the nurse came up in her line of sight.

"Haruhi-san," The school nurse, Fujino Akari, suppressed a giggle at the sight of Haruhi's frowning face. "You'll get sick even more if you look like that."

"There's no scientific study or whatsoever that proves that frowning causes a person to become more sick than he was before." Haruhi deadpanned.

Akari giggled. "No, but the fact that you're frowning means that you're thinking of something awful or bad, which could affect the entire state of your body, not allowing your body to rest."

Haruhi pouted. In a way, the nurse was right. Putting herself in a negative mood would just make her fever worse but really, if it weren't for _that_ yesterday, she definitely would have slept early and be in good shape!

"Now, take these." Akari placed a couple of tablets on her bedside table. "You'll feel sleepy right after taking them. Don't fight it. It's your body asking you to let it rest so let your body do its job."

In response, Haruhi downed the tablets and plopped on the soft bed. "Thank you…" She murmured. Hearing the fading footsteps and the door close, she relaxed, letting the medicine do its magic. She just wanted to get better as soon as possible. Honestly, she really can't afford to miss more of her classes. She might lose the scholarship she worked hard for.

A minute or two passed, she could feel sleep tugging on all of her senses. The medicine was trying to shut it all down. Thankful that she didn't have to endure more minutes of waiting for the medicine to work, she let herself succumb to the calling of her own body – falling asleep…

Falling…

Falling…

 _Falling…_

Her body in between sleep and wake, she could still faintly hear the opening of her door and the school nurse talking to her. Whatever it was, it was probably some reminders. "Yeah, sure…" She replied groggily.

Sleep has finally taken over.

…

"I'm sorry, Haruhi was _what_?"

The school nurse sighed. "She was taken to the Haninozuka Estate since her father said that he wasn't coming home tonight because of work."

"When did he say that?"

"When Haninozuka-san called up Haruhi's father. He told him that Haruhi was sick."

"Why was Honey-senpai here in your office in the first place?"

The nurse was getting sick of all the questions. "What are you? Police?"

"Just answer us, please."

Akari sighed heavily. "Haninozuka-san came in here together with Morinozuka-san. Morinozuka-san was asking for some pain reliever since his head was aching."

"How did they know that Haruhi was here?"

Akari shrugged. "When I got out from Haruhi's room, I saw the two of them waiting. Haninozuka asked if I was busy since I came out from the resting room and I told him that I was taking care of Haruhi since she was running a fever."

"Then?"

"They both looked incredibly concerned. That was when I saw Haninozuka pull out his phone and started calling her Father. The rest, you know already."

"So Honey-senpai called Ranka-san, then Ranka-san said he couldn't manage to come home tonight since he was busy with work. Is that right?"

Akari was absolutely getting tired. "Yes. From what I understand from his conversation though, I think Haruhi's father was the one who wanted Haruhi to stay at their place while he was away."

"So… you never heard Honey-senpai say anything that he wanted to bring her back to his place?"

Akari shook her head.

"Okay, thank you so much Fujino-san."

As soon as the door closed, the two persons standing outside the nurse's office seemed contemplative, although the other one seemed close to blowing up. "That short basta –"

"Hikaru. That's enough."

"What do you mean 'enough'?! That alien took her!"

Kaoru sighed. His brother was so irrational, really. "Honey-senpai didn't take her. If what Fujino-san said was true, then that means Honey-senpai was ordered to take care of Haruhi 'til he comes back."

Hikaru pouted. He knew that his brother's statement was true. "Why did it have to be him again though?"

"Because he was the one who called Ranka-san."

The older twin sighed. "Next time, if Haruhi gets sick, we're calling him first."

Kaoru agreed. "Now, let's just tell the others and take notes for Haruhi."

Hikaru nodded dejectedly and proceeded to make his way to the Third Music Room. Surely, things will get interesting once they tell the news.

…

The bed of Ouran's clinic was ridiculously heavenly. As much as she hated wasting time, she wanted to stay in bed a little longer. Fully conscious, she was aware of how her body felt lighter. Refusing to open her eyes and relish more of the luxury, she sank herself deeper to the form-fitting mattress that did wonders to her small body. She grabbed the fluffy pillow that was cushioning her head and sighed contentedly. The pillow smelled sweet. In fact, it almost smelled like someone she knew. It smelled like…

Haruhi's eyes flew open. She sat up as fast as lightning and scanned her surroundings. The room was absolutely unfamiliar yet it felt warm. She grabbed the pillow that she was holding onto a few seconds ago. She sniffed at the pillow and instantly recognized that scent. It belonged to no one else but _him_.

"Ah, Haru-chan, you're up."

She stiffened.

 _Dear God, let this be a dream please. I'll do anything. Just let this be a dream._

She heard the person giggle. "Haru-chan, you're funny when you're sick. This isn't a dream."

There he was, standing at the door holding a tray with a steaming cup of tea, was none other than Haninozuka Mitsukuni.

He stood there grinning like an idiot. "It seems you're sick again, Haru-chan. Don't worry though, I'll take good care of you, ne~?"

 _Mom, I can definitely see it._

 _Name: Fujioka Haruhi  
COD (Cause Of Death): Cardiac Arrest_

…

 **ANOTHER CHAPTER ACCOMPLISHED! Finally updated without you guys having to wait for months. I hope you guys enjoyed this one. To all my lovely readers and to those who made the effort of reading and leaving a review, thank you so much.**

 **I'll see you guys again the next chapter!**

 **Ciao!  
Nana xxx**


	9. Chapter 9

**Pairing:** Haninozuka Mitsukuni x Fujioka Haruhi

I hope you guys will enjoy this one! =D

…

Honey observed the girl sitting on his bed (yes, his bed). He could see the panic slowly growing within her and as much as that amused him, he also didn't want to worsen her condition. She's been getting sick lately and that worried him a lot. "Haru-chan, relax." He said in a soft voice.

"Why – why am I here?" She asked. He could hear the slight tremor in her voice. _Why is she afraid?_ "Where am I?" She asked again.

Without moving from his spot, he answered her. "Your father asked me to take you here in our home since he said that he won't be able to come home tonight from work." He saw how her body loosened up a bit from that information. "I called him when the nurse told me that you were sick." He explained slowly.

Haruhi finally glanced at him, her brown eyes burning with curiosity. "Why did the nurse tell you that?"

"Takashi and I were waiting for the nurse since Takashi wasn't feeling very well."

"Eh? Is Mori-senpai okay?"

Honey smiled at her genuine concern. Even when she was sick, she'd always have time to focus on others. "Just a headache, Haru-chan."

"More importantly, the school nurse called my dad?"

Honey shook his head. "I did. I offered to take you home so that you can rest better but Ranka-san said that he can't go home tonight and he didn't want you to be alone, so he asked a favor if I could take care of you since I did a good job the last time."

"….Oh." Was what she said.

Honey blinked. Was that disappointment?

 _Well that stings._ Haruhi thought.

"You don't wanna be here, Haruhi?"

The brunette flinched. She was rude. Downright rude. Here was her senpai, taking care of her and now she just sounded like she didn't wanna be near him. _But it's all because Dad asked him to…_ "Sorry senpai, it's just…"

"Just what?"

"I don't wanna be a burden. And besides, I'm feeling better Honey-senpai."

"Are you sure that's the reason why you wanna leave, Haru-chan?"

…

"MOMMY! OUR DAUGHTER HAS BEEN ABDUCTED BY ONE OF OUR NEIGHBORS!"

"She was not abducted, Tamaki."

"Hikaru! Kaoru! Call the CIA! We need some high-profile men to take on our daring neighbor!"

"She's being taken care of, Tono."

"Yeah, she wasn't kidnapped."

"Places, everyone!"

"MOMMY!"

"Tamaki, I swear to God, if you don't start moving I'll kick your balls so hard you won't be able to produce babies anymore."

"EEP!"

…

"Excuse me?"

He placed the tray on the nearest table. "I asked you if that's the only reason why you wanna leave, Haru-chan."

Haruhi scoffed. "Of course, what else do you think is there?"

"You sounded disappointed when I said that I was the one asked by your father to look after you." He replied. "Did you want someone else to look after you?"

Guilt washed over her. She hadn't meant to sound like that. She wasn't disappointed over the fact that her father asked him. It was the fact that he was doing all of this because her father asked him to, like an obligation. "No senpai, sorry, it's not that." She answered. _Why is he asking all these questions anyway? What does it matter?_

"Then what is it?" He asked again. "You know that I'll always help you, Haru-chan."

Before she could even stop herself, she blurted out. "Well now, you can't." She muttered softly before gasping and clamping her mouth with her own hands. The sound of a door closing and a click signifying that the door was locked made her feel high-strung. _HARUHI YOU UTTER FOOL WHERE'S YOUR BRAIN WHEN YOU NEED IT THE MOST YOU BIG BIG BIG BIG FOOL._

"Why can't I help you, Haru-chan?"

Haruhi gulped. "It's, uhh, it's, uhm," _Think of something! You're supposed to be smart!_

"It's what, Haru-chan?"

For the second time on the same event, her body acted on its own. She glared at the person who was the root of all her sickness. "It's none of your concern!" She shouted in anger. "Why do you care anyway?!" Her mind registered the words that she was saying. She knew she wasn't supposed to burst out like that but really, the man was so annoying! Why was he asking so much questions when all she wanted was to just be left alone?!

"Haru-chan," Honey said in a calm tone, trying to placate the brunette. "Please, relax. You're still sick." He was hoping his calm voice could at least calm the raging brunette in front of him. As a matter of fact, he was actually the opposite of calm.

"Why do you care?!"

Really, this girl was becoming difficult by the second. "Because you're sick, that's why. So please," He took one step closer, wanting to hug the girl and at least calm her down. "Just settle down. Your father asked me to take care of you so please, let me do it Haru-chan." He pleaded. He could see the beads of sweat on her forehead. Her fever must be running high now.

"Well don't bother." She retaliated. Her body was now running on her own overwhelming emotions… and it felt good. "I can take care of myself, Honey-senpai. I'm not dumb."

Honey's patience was wearing thin. What the hell is wrong with this girl? "Haruhi. Your father specifically told me to watch over you." He said in a hard tone.

For the third time on the same event…

She said something that was not supposed to be said…

Most especially in front of Haninozuka Mitsukuni…

"If my father asked you to love me, would you?"

The world around him just stopped shifting.

…

"You're awfully quiet today."

Tamaki heard his best friend, but his attention was on his phone.

"Is there something interesting written there?" Kyoya asked again. He liked how Tamaki was despite him being annoying most of the time. Today was just different and he was honestly curious of what was occupying the French man's mind.

"There's a storm coming in tonight." Tamaki replied.

Kyoya knew what he meant. "Do you wanna go to Honey-senpai's place?"

Tamaki's eyes sparkled. "Can we? You don't think Honey-senpai will kick us out?"

"Honey-senpai knows Haruhi is afraid of thunderstorms. He'll be thankful that we're all there to help her get through it."

Tamaki sprang up and hugged the life out of his best friend. "THANK YOU, MON AMI~!" Ignoring the protests of his best friend, he ran back to the main guest room where the twins and Mori were cleaning up. "Men! We're heading out to the Haninozuka Estate to rescue Haruhi!"

Hikaru rolled his eyes at their stupid King. "Tono, how many times do we have to tell you that Haruhi is just there resting?"

"Besides," Kaoru joined in. "We'll get kicked out."

"There's a thunderstorm coming in tonight." Tamaki said, seriousness lacing in his tone. With just that sentence, the main guest room was sparkly and clean in an instant and the twins and Mori were now standing by the doors.

"We're ready, Sir!" The twins saluted.

The remaining 5 host club members left Ouran, unaware of the storm brewing within the Haninozuka household.

…

Destruction isn't always as noisy as bombs blowing off all at the same time. Sometimes, it could be as quiet as a feather falling on the floor. No one else can really hear your own heart breaking… except you.

The silence that greeted her was something that she had expected, something that she had envisioned when she found that courage to stand up in front of Haninozuka Mitsukuni and confess. She expected it, yet the blow that the dead silence delivered never eased the pain that was growing inside her. _Can he possibly hear it?_ She wondered. She could feel it; her own heart, breaking into a million pieces, shattering… and she knew right at once, it was beyond repair. She had to do something to save herself, and more importantly, their _friendship_. She didn't wanna lose it just because her mouth said something it wasn't supposed to say.

"I'm sorry." She blurted out. She was aware that she was speaking without thinking first but what the hell, she needed to say something rather than endure the growing tension between them. "I shouldn't have said that." _Say something! Don't stop talking!_ "That was really inappropriate." Her eyes were starting to sting. _Not now…_ She needed to get out. She won't be able to hold it back. She wanted out. Without looking, she bowed and apologized once more before she bolted out of the room and out of the house.

It took Honey a few seconds to get his mind back before he realized that Haruhi wasn't in his room anymore. He growled. "That woman…" Without a second to waste, he ran out of his room and started to look for the brunette.

…

"They went out?"

"Hai, Suoh-sama."

"Where did they go?"

The maid shook her head. "I saw Lady Haruhi get out first then Mitsuku –"

"Wait, wait, wait." The twins said in unison. "What do you mean she went out first?"

"I simply saw Lady Haruhi running out then Mitsukuni-sama followed right after." The maid explained.

"They were running?" Tamaki asked this time. "Why were they running? Are they playing commoner games or something?"

The maid shook her head again. "I don't know, Suoh-sama."

Mori stepped inside. "I'll check his room."

"I wonder where they went…" Kaoru pulled his out phone and started dialing Haruhi's number. "I'll call her."

"I… I do need to say something though…" The maid spoke softly, unsure whether she should continue or not.

"Then say it." Kyoya said ruthlessly.

"One of the gardeners said that Lady Haruhi looked like she was crying…" She trailed off, not knowing what to say anymore."

"Usa-chan is still in his room." Mori reported, bringing the pink stuffed toy with him.

"He never leaves without Usa-chan…" Tamaki said, staring at the black eyes of the stuffed toy. He looked at Kyoya.

Kyoya simply pushed back his glasses and stared at his blonde friend. "My guards are already on foot, looking for them."

"Let's do a search of our own." Hikaru suggested.

Kaoru nodded. "Haruhi might just be here somewhere."

And with that, the 5 hosts split up in search for their sick and lost princess.

…

She knew that she was still within Haninozuka Estate. There was something in her gut that told her that if she ran out using the front gates, their guards will be alerted and instead of Honey looking for her (that is assuming if he was looking for her), an entire army will be right behind her. She wouldn't put it past her short senpai to call for a helicopter too to get an aerial view and find her faster.

She let out a huge breath that was waiting to come out from her system. She took in her surroundings. She didn't know which direction she ran off to but she made sure it was somewhere far from the room she was previously in. The garden in front of her looked so breath-taking. Roses with different colors adorned the edges of the garden. Butterflies were flying above the pond that was situated in the center of the garden, koi fishes happily swimming in the clear and cold water. A bamboo shoot fountain was at the farthest part of the koi pond, the soft tap of the bamboo against the stone made her feel calm. The sounds of the flowing water cleared her muddled mind.

Tranquility – this was what she needed.

She sat on one of the rocks near the pond and closed her eyes. _Breathing exercises first, they said, to calm yourself…_

Inhale…

Exhale…

Inhale…

Exhale…

She forced herself to recollect the events that happened earlier, as embarrassing as it was for her. She knew that she was wrong for taking out her frustration on her senior. He did nothing. He knew absolutely nothing about her feelings for him… well, now that her stupid mouth betrayed her, he now knows but still, he didn't do anything wrong. It was never his fault that she developed feelings for him but… she also knew that she wasn't at fault for suddenly waking up one day and realizing that she's in love with the small senior.

She sighed and finally opened her eyes, resolve settling in those golden-brown orbs. She'll apologize and fix their friendship. She brought her hands together and placed them over her heart. She will pray for his good health. She will pray for wonderful blessings to be showered upon him. She will pray for his happiness…

Even if it meant she was out of his life.

Even if it meant he would find someone else.

A lone tear slid down her porcelain cheek… followed by another, and another.

Acceptance has never felt so bitter.

"Haru-chan?"

She wiped the tears before turning at the man who has both given her happiness and sadness at the same time. She smiled softly before saying,

"Would you like to seat beside me, Honey-senpai?"

 _It's time, Haruhi._

…

 **HELLO AGAIN EVERYONE! =))**

 **First of all, I'd like to give myself a pat on the back for updating. I wasn't expecting for this chapter to be finished so soon, I mean, it's been days since my last update! This is improvement! I am really happy for myself, and I hope you guys are enjoying this chapter that's kinda running high on emotions now.**

 **To those who reviewed, thank you so much! Your reviews mean a whole lot to me and gives me the motivation to give you a much better chapter than the previous one. I love you guys so much!**

 **See ya'll in the next one!**

 **Ciao!  
Nana xxx**


	10. Chapter 10

**Pairing:** Haninozuka Mitsukuni x Fujioka Haruhi

I hope you guys will enjoy this one! =D

…

"Did you find her?" Kyoya's smooth voice rang through the air. "Okay, thank you."

"So?" The twins prodded. "Where is she?"

"She's at the gardens with Honey-senpai."

Tamaki sighed in relief. "Well then, what are we waiting for?" He beamed at the prospect of seeing Haruhi. "Let's go!"

"No."

The negative response by their silent giant was so loud and clear that they had to backtrack (except for Kyoya, of course) and double-check whether it was really Morinozuka Takashi that was right beside them.

"Why?" The idiotic trio answered in unison.

"The Haninozuka Garden is a sacred place where the fighters meditate before a fight." The wild host sent a look to the idiotic trio of the Host Club. "People who can't keep their mouths shut aren't allowed to be on the garden."

Hikaru bristled at that remark but stayed silent. Who knows what would happen to him if he dares to defy a Kendo master. "Haruhi isn't a fighter. Why is she there?"

Mori simply raised an eyebrow at the question.

Hikaru tilted his head.

Kaoru sighed. He knew what Mori was trying to say. "Hikaru. Haruhi is sick. She probably wanted a quiet place to stay."

Tamaki frowned at that statement. "Then shouldn't our daughter be staying indoors instead of outdoors?" He turned to Kyoya for an approval.

Kyoya simply shrugged, looking impassive as ever. "Maybe Haruhi just wanted to get some fresh air. Being in bed all day can be a little stuffy."

The shrill sound of a phone ringing interrupted their discussion. Kyoya pulled out his sleek phone and without checking who the caller is, pressed it into his ear. "Yes?"

"Ah, Honey-senpai."

Just that name brought the idiotic trio inside Kyoya's personal space which made him extremely pissed. "Back off, idiots." He said icily. In an instant, the three boys lined up beside their wild host. Kyoya sighed. "I'm sorry Honey-senpai, what was that?"

A few nods and a few words of confirmation… Kyoya finally flipped his phone close.

"What did Honey-senpai say?" The three boys asked, curiosity shining in their eyes.

Kyoya sighed. Whatever he was about to say, he knows that they won't like it. "Honey-senpai wants me to pull out all the guards surrounding them and he wants us to stay away."

"WHAT?!"

"And if you don't follow his orders, Honey-senpai won't hesitate to break your bones the moment he sees your shadows near the garden."

"…okay."

In a Kyoya-like fashion, pushing back his glasses, he ushered the idiotic trio back inside the house. "Let's wait for them in here. I'll let Honey-senpai know."

"Yes Mommy…" The trio replied dejectedly.

So the waiting game starts.

…

"I think I like this part of your house so much better."

Honey looked at the girl beside him. Her face looked so serene. "Are you feeling better now, Haru-chan~?" He asked softly.

She chuckled at that question which earned her a questioning glance from her small senior. "Dizzy, weak, and hungry."

Honey's eyes widened at her answer. "Haru-chan, we should get back insi –"

She shook her head. "Senpai, I like it – "

In a flash, the small Haninozuka was right in front of her, his honey-colored eyes boring into hers with seriousness. "Haru-chan."

Haruhi gulped. There goes her heart again, beating irregularly. _Arrhythmia…_ "Ye-yes, Senpai?"

Just as he was about to give her some lecture, she bursted out in laughter. For the second time on that afternoon, he was shocked. He was starting to think that the fever was getting in to Haruhi's big brain and damaging it. "Haru-chan," He took both of her shoulders that were still shaking from laughter. A small smile appeared on his face. _At least she's laughing now…_ "We should really get back inside. I don't know what's funny but I think the fever is damaging your amazing brain cells Haru-chan."

"Sure Honey-senpai but…"

Seeing her apprehensive expression, he started to worry again. "What's wrong, Haru-chan?"

She smiled sheepishly. "I do feel dizzy Honey-senpai." She admitted. "My legs feel weak after all that running…" She trailed off.

"Oh~?" Honey said in a teasing tone. "And whose fault is that, Haru-chan~?"

Haruhi pouted and rolled her eyes. "I get it, I get it…"

That pout on her should be illegal. She absolutely has no idea how cute she looked at that moment. His own lips were tingling, wanting to feel how those pouty lips would feel on his… but that's not the appropriate thought for the current circumstance. "I'll go call Takashi so that he can carry you, okay~?"

 _Now I'm being a burden again._ The brunette sighed. The man in front of her was trying to help her get better but in return, she pushed her irrelevant frustrations on him. Now that she was feeling extremely weak, he did nothing but offer help again. She was truly pathetic. "Honey-senpai…"

"Yes, Haru-chan~?" He answered, his eyes on his phone looking for his cousin's name.

 _It's now or never, Haruhi._ _Make things right._

"I…" She gulped, feeling her head getting light-headed. "I'm…" She trailed off again. His face was getting blurry. _What's going on?_

Finally hitting that 'Send' button, he pocketed his phone and looked at the girl beside him… who was looking disoriented and about to topple over. "Haru-chan!" He immediately sat beside her and placed a hand on her forehead. He winced. Her fever was getting worst. For the first time in his life, he cursed his short height. If he were taller, he would've been able to carry Haruhi back inside the house but with his height right now, Haruhi's bottom would just hit the ground and that would be very uncomfortable for her. "Haru-chan?" The response he got from the girl was her hot head on his shoulders and the sound of her breathing. She fell asleep.

Placing both of his arms around the small girl, he held her and waited for his tall cousin to arrive.

 _Dear God, what I would give just to have her beside me…_

…

Flipping his phone close, he looked at the Shadow King right beside him who was leisurely sipping tea. "Kyoya."

Kyoya turned his attention to the silent host. "Yes, Mori-senpai?"

Mori sidled closer to Kyoya. "I need to go to the gardens."

The fact that Mori was being secretive meant something was up. "Did something happen?" Kyoya asked softly, keeping his eyes on the trio who were immersed in playing card games.

"Hn."

Kyoya was actually waiting for Mori to explain but a few seconds had already passed and still no explanation was given. Maybe it wasn't as important as it seems? "Okay then." Kyoya approved.

Mori stood up and looked at the three hosts. "Cover for me." He stated before silently leaving the room.

Mori knew the Haninozuka Estate very well considering that he and Honey grew up together. He knew all the shortcuts hence he could reach the vast garden where Honey and Haruhi were. With just a few turns, he was outside the house. At a distance, he could see the expanse of both Honey and Haruhi's back. He could see that Haruhi was leaning against his cousin's shoulder and based on her hunched posture, it looked like she was asleep. Honey's right arm was around the brunette, supporting her. Just as he was nearing their location, his cousin did something that made him stop in his trek…

He turned and kissed the top of Haruhi's head.

His lips lingered on her brown locks.

He gripped her tighter.

He pressed his nose and inhaled her scent.

And finally looked at her with such fervor.

His cousin was in love with the Host Club's Secret Princess, Fujioka Haruhi.

He had to snap out of it and fetch them. Honey did need his help in carrying Haruhi back to the guest room since her fever was kicking up again. Why did his cousin even allow Haruhi to be outside when she was clearly sick and needed bed rest?

"Mitsukuni."

"Ah, Takashi."

Mori observed the brunette who was leaning on his cousin's shoulder. Her face looked flushed, especially her cheeks and neck. He could see beads of sweat on her forehead. The good thing was she was breathing evenly. His calculating gaze shifted to his cousin who was stroking the brunette's short locks. He raised an eyebrow at that. Was he finally admitting it to him?

"Ano, she seemed fine when she woke up earlier so I allowed her to roam around the house." Honey started to explain.

"Nana-san said that someone saw her running." Mori replied.

Honey's brown eyes shifted to the left, which Mori knew since childhood that he was about to tell a lie… and an extremely awful lie at that. "Uh," Honey started hesitant. "We were playing commoner games~?" His tone taking on his usual cutesy voice.

Mori snorted. It sounded a lot like Tamaki's reasoning. "Try again." He said.

"Mou…" At this point, Honey pouted. He honestly didn't know what to say but he also knew that now was the time to tell his cousin everything. "Is everyone else inside?" Honey asked.

Mori simply nodded.

"You pick up Haru-chan first, Takashi. I'll explain _everything_ later when the rest are off to their homes." Honey said while shifting Haruhi a bit so that his cousin won't have a hard time picking up the brunette.

In response, Mori effortlessly carried the brunette in his arms. He frowned as he could feel the heat seeping through her white polo shirt. Was she really okay?

"We'll ask Kyo-chan to check on her, Takashi." Honey stated, seeing the worry on Mori's face. "If he says that she needs to go to the hospital, then we'll take her."

"Ah."

Mori sent a short prayer to the heavens, praying that Haruhi was okay.

…

"You evil twin! You cheated!"

"Sorry Boss," The King of Hearts flew over the table. "A loss is a loss."

"It's not a loss if you cheated!"

"Oh? Where's the proof?"

"Where's Mori-senpai?"

That question sent both the arguing players off their gaming mode and brought them back to reality. They looked at the spot where their wild host was supposed to be seated, right beside the Host Club's Shadow King.

"Mori-senpai just went out to call and inform his parents that he's here in Honey-senpai's house and will be coming home later." The Shadow King answered smoothly.

Hikaru stretched and threw the rest of his cards back at the table. "Oi Kyoya-senpai, where's Haruhi and Honey-senpai? It's been like an hour already."

Kyoya sighed. _Truly an idiot…_ "It's been 7 minutes since we came in here. You guys have been playing for 5 minutes." He stated.

"Are you serious?" Kaoru asked in disbelief. They say that time flies when you're having fun but this time, it seemed like the time stopped for a minute or two.

"Since when was I not serious?"

If it were possible, Kaoru's eyebrows went up to his hairline. "You mean, you actually did raise Haruhi's debt that one time where she accidentally –"

 _SLAM!_

"HELLO EVERYONE~!"

Kyoya merely stood up and greeted his two seniors while the other three were huddled in one corner, their spirits flying out of their mouths from severe shock.

"How's Haruhi, Honey-senpai?" Kyoya started. They did come to the Haninozuka Estate to check on Haruhi after all.

"Actually Kyo-chan, we want you to check on her." Honey replied. Seeing the question in Kyoya's eyes, he continued to explain. "She seemed fine to me but just to be sure, I'd rather have her checked if it's okay for her to continue resting at home or be admitted in the hospital."

Finally, the three hosts who were shell-shocked a few seconds ago, were revived after hearing about Haruhi's condition. "Did something happen to her, Honey-senpai?" Hikaru asked, his face looking all serious.

The short blonde shook his head. "No, but it did seem like her fever was getting worse."

Tamaki frowned at that information. "Honey-senpai, you knew she was sick. Why did you even allow her to be moving out and about?"

Honey hung his head, his blonde bangs shielding his guilt-stricken eyes. "Gomen… it's just that she really wanted to go out, you know? I can't really resist it when she asks for something." Honey finally looked up with a sheepish smile on his face. "Haru-chan never really asks for anything from us so when she said that she wanted to see what's outside our house, I simply didn't think and just let her do what she wanted."

Tamaki chuckled. Honey was right. Their secret princess never asked for anything except for time to let her study because she had grades to maintain. If he were in Honey's position, not only would he let her see their mansion's garden, he'd take her to the most beautiful garden in all of Japan.

"Where is she right now, Honey-senpai?" Kyoya inquired, not really liking how they're all wasting their time in this useless talk.

"The guest room beside my room, Kyo-chan." Honey informed.

Kyoya nodded. "You guys stay here while I –"

Hikaru stepped forward, a clear frown on his face. "Oh no you aren't. We've been wanting to see Haruhi ever since this afternoon."

"Yeah, Kyoya-senpai." Kaoru joined his brother. "We just wanna see Haruhi."

A dark mist started appearing around their Shadow King. "And then what? Create a ruckus when she looks like a wreck?"

Not to be deterred over Kyoya's growing evil presence, the elder Hitachiin stood his ground. "No we won't." He replied defiantly.

Kyoya gritted his teeth. "Yes, you will."

"We'll allow you to ship us to the Caribbean Sea or anywhere in the world if we make the smallest sound inside the room." Kaoru knew that it was risky to make a deal with the Host Club's Shadow King. What if his brother or especially their idiot King accidentally did something that will incur the wrath of both demons currently present in the house? But… they're friends. Friends don't ship their friends to the farthest place in the planet… right?

"I will put that in writing and everyone present in this room will have to sign it." Without waiting for any reply from the group, Kyoya left.

"You!" Tamaki took the younger twin by his collar and started shaking him. "Are you out of your mind?!"

Kaoru rolled his eyes. "If you don't wanna be shipped off to the deepest ends of the earth then you better sew your mouth shut." He swatted Tamaki's hands off of his collar. "Let's go. We're supposed to visit our friend, not argue."

"No more wasting time." Mori stepped aside, signaling the three hosts to start moving.

"Hai!"

…

"Is she okay, Kyo-chan?"

Kyoya nodded, placing the blanket back on Haruhi's sleeping form and wiping the bangs off her forehead. "She still has a fever but her temperature isn't exactly alarming. Usually, when the fever is still there after three days, that's when she needs to get admitted."

Relief flooded Honey's body. He was really worried of what his friend might say. "So we just have to pray that Haru-chan's fever goes away tomorrow, ne Takashi~?" Honey said while hugging his Usa-chan really close.

Mori nodded. "Ah."

"Well," Kyoya finally straightened up and fixed his glasses. "I should be going now. I still have that Chemistry homework to finish."

"Arigato, Kyo-chan." Honey spoke softly, not wanting to disturb the sick brunette in the room.

"Call me when something comes up."

Honey simply nodded. "I will, Kyo-chan."

The Shadow King leveled a gaze at the silent trio behind him. A smirk appeared on his handsome features, he was impressed that they were behaving for once. It probably wouldn't hurt to indulge them a little. "Whatever you want to say to Haruhi, say it now – _as softly as possible_."

Tamaki's feet were quick. In an instant, he was at the edge of the bed leaning forward to whisper in Haruhi's ear. "Haruhi, get better soon okay? I'll miss you terribly if you're not at the club." Slowly, he patted Haruhi's brown locks and bowed at Honey and Mori before leaving the room.

Hikaru followed Tamaki. "How in the world will Kaoru and I answer the quiz if you're not there? Haruhi, hurry up and get better. Stop getting sick." With the same gesture as Tamaki, Hikaru bowed and silently left the room.

Lastly, it was Kaoru's turn. Kaoru simply watched the sleeping brunette, not offering any words. After a few seconds, he leaned further down and softly kissed Haruhi's temple. "Get well, Haruhi." With the same as the other two, he bowed at his two seniors and left the room.

Kyoya, who has been watching the three interact with the sleeping Haruhi, snuck a glance at their short senior. There was no hint of any emotion that indicated that Honey was jealous of Kaoru's little show. He made a quick look over at Honey's body, maybe there was something there… but there was none. Honey seemed relaxed, happy even.

Sensing that someone was watching him, he turned at the source. "Is there something wrong, Kyo-chan?"

"You will take good care of her right, Honey-senpai?"

Honey knew what that question actually meant… and he wasn't at all surprised. He had long figured out that somewhere in the cold heart of the third Ootori was a place where it cared about Fujioka Haruhi who had unknowingly ingrained herself in every heart of the host. Honey smiled and turned back to look at the sleeping brunette. "I will, Kyo-chan."

Kyoya merely nodded, satisfied with his answer. "I'll leave her to you then." With that, Ootori Kyoya left the room with a firm resolution in his mind.

 _You better, Honey-senpai…_

…

 **YAY! I am on a roll you guys! Did you guys like this? As always, I pray that you will =) Thank you so much for those who reviewed on my previous chapter. My heart will always go out to you. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.**

 **See you guys on the next chapter!**

 **Ciao!  
Nana xxx**


	11. Chapter 11

**Pairing:** Haninozuka Mitsukuni x Fujioka Haruhi

I hope you guys will enjoy this one! =D

…

She can feel her own body waking up. She wanted to sleep more but her body refused to go back to the state of slumber. She sunk deeper into the soft mattress, enjoying the warmth it was giving her. Hearing her own stomach rumble, she sighed heavily before opening her eyes and staring at the ceiling. She knew that it was a sign that she needed to get up and get some food in her system since her stomach was complaining but really, can't she just have 10 more minutes of pure bliss?

 _RUMBLE._

Nope.

Rolling her eyes, she rolled over and assessed the room she was in. It looked like the same room that she was in before. She checked the clock that was sitting on top of the bed side table … and her eyes went wide as saucers.

"1PM? You've got to be kidding me…" She shoved the covers off her body and instantly felt a cold breeze brush over her. She looked down and was again shocked by what she saw. She wasn't in her Ouran uniform anymore. She was in a white silk nightie that had a u-shaped cut in front that wasn't exactly revealing and the nightie fell to her mid-thigh. She felt exposed, not exactly used to wearing this types of sleeping wear yet it felt really nice on her. Her thoughts were interrupted with a soft knock on her door.

"Lady Haruhi?"

 _Ridiculous maids with ridiculous titles…_ "Ha-hai?" She answered back, fingering the hem of her nightie.

Slowly, the shoji door opened, revealing one of the maids in the Haninozuka household. "Ah, Lady Haruhi, you're finally awake."

Haruhi smiled sheepishly. "Gomen, my body probably needed it."

The maid chuckled. "I know. Young Master Mitsukuni said that you had a fever and made the order to let you sleep in whenever you wanted."

Feeling at ease with the maid that was with her, she was about to ask for a change of clothes but the rumbling of her stomach beat her to it.

Haruhi groaned while the maid chuckled. "Would you like to take your late lunch in here Lady Haruhi?"

Haruhi shook her head. "Please, just call me Haruhi and no, I don't wanna dirty the sheets. Is it okay if I eat it outside?"

The maid tilted her head in question. "You mean, in the dining room?"

The brunette recoiled at that thought. They had this ridiculously long dining table. She definitely didn't wanna eat there alone. "No, I actually mean outside the house."

Seeing the maid's eyes widen, Haruhi knew that the maid wasn't exactly comfortable with the idea. "But Lady Haruhi," The maid started. "You might still be sick! We can't let you go outside and get more unknown germs!"

 _She sounded like Tamaki-senpai right there…_ "Ano, what's your name?" Haruhi inquired.

"Choshi Akemi, Lady Haruhi." The maid answered.

"Ano Choshi-san, it's okay really," Haruhi assured the maid in front of her. "I feel a lot better and I just don't wanna get stuck inside the house. I wanna have some fresh air."

Akemi frowned. "But Young Master said –"

"I absolutely have an idea of what he ordered you to do but really, it's okay." Haruhi smiled. "I'll send him a text right now that I told you that I wanted to eat outside. Will that be okay?"

"Well," Akemi didn't really want to disobey the Young Master's orders. The heir of the Haninozuka was such a nice young man but if provoked, you'd better start running for your life at the speed of light. So here she was, debating whether to let the Young Master's guest take her lunch outside or force her to take it inside the house where she's safer. "If it's what Lady Haruhi likes to do, then okay, I'll tell the other maids to prepare your food for you outside."

Relief flooded Haruhi's being and smiled at Akemi. "Thank you so much, Akemi. If you don't mind though," Haruhi pointed at her nightie. "Can I get a change of clothes?"

Akemi smiled. "Ah, you have clothes inside the cabinet Lady Haruhi. They're all in your sizes. Is there anything else that I can help you with, Lady Haruhi?"

Haruhi shook her head. "No, thank you so much Choshi-san."

Akemi bowed and started leaving her room. "I'll be back when your food is ready, Lady Haruhi."

With that, Haruhi finally left the bed and headed towards the bathroom.

 _Might as well start by freshening up…_

…

"Man, that quiz was so hard…" Hikaru groaned, rubbing his eyes with the heel of his palm. He was lying on Tamaki's couch where he usually hosts his guests. "Why did Haruhi have to be sick on a day like this?"

Kaoru rolled his eyes at the lament of his twin. "How about you try studying for once, Hikaru?"

Hikaru simply grinned. "That's Haruhi's job, my dear Kao."

"MY DARLING DAUGHTER HAS A JOB?! ARE THEY GETTING SO POOR THAT SHE HAD TO GET A SECRET JOB?!"

Leave it to the Shadow King and the Idiot King to come at the wrong time.

"Kyoya! We've got to save our poor daughter from the depths of hell!"

Kyoya merely ignored his babbling friend and proceeded to go to his usual spot in the club, bring out his laptop and ignore the rest of the world.

"KYOYA!"

Kyoya released his dark mist.

Tamaki backed up… and went to a corner and started growing mushrooms.

"Oi Tono," Kaoru started, peering over Tamaki's shoulder and looking at the mushrooms he was growing. "You shouldn't start growing mushrooms now." Kaoru finished. "We'll start at exactly 15 minutes, you know?"

The door to the Third Music Room opened revealing Morinozuka Takashi and… wait, where's Haninozuka Mitsukuni?

"Ara, Mori-senpai," Hikaru sat up and looked at their silent host. "Where's Honey-senpai? It's unusual for you to come in here without him."

"Kyoya." Mori answered simply.

"Ah," Hikaru pointed at the far corner of the room. "He's right there."

Without a word, Mori went straight to the Shadow King who was completely immersed in his work. As Mori reached Kyoya's table, Kyoya spoke without looking up from his screen. "Is there something you need, Mori-senpai?"

"Mitsukuni won't be here for today's activities."

Kyoya's flying hands stopped. A bright glare appeared on his glasses as he looked up at his senior, making his expression unreadable. "Did he say why?"

"Haruhi." Mori answered simply.

The gleam on Kyoya's glasses vanished, revealing his steely grey eyes. "Is she okay?"

"Ah." Mori answered. "She woke up at 1PM."

Kyoya chuckled. "Well, her body needed rest." His hands started flying off the keyboard again. "Will you be okay entertaining Honey-senpai's usual guests?"

"Hn."

"Then that's settled then."

As soon as Mori left the dark space that Kyoya resided, he was bombarded with a pair of redheads and a single blonde. "What did you say?" The twins asked.

Tamaki shoved his head in between the redheads to stare at their silent host. "Is he going to ship you off to hell?"

"Where's Honey-senpai?"

Mori decided to only answer the last question. "Home." He pushed through the three bodies that were standing in his way effortlessly, putting the idiotic trio in a jumbled heap at the floor.

 _What's up with him?_

…

"I'm home~!" Honey announced, giving his book bag to the maid in waiting. "Where's Choshi –"

"Ah, welcome home, Honey-senpai."

That melodious voice belonged to only one female that he allowed to invade the private space in both his home and heart; Fujioka Haruhi. She was standing there wearing a plain yellow sundress that fit her snugly, showing the curves that would definitely give away that Haruhi was actually a girl. What made his heart stop wasn't the dress… well, a part of it was the dress because he wasn't expecting that she'd wear something like that considering how Haruhi likes her clothes to be loose and comfortable. His heart stopped at merely the sight of her standing in front of him, greeting him home and wearing such an angelic smile that if he had no self-control, he would've swept her off her feet and carried her straight to his bedroom where…

Honey shook his head, dispelling all evil thoughts that were starting to invade his thoughts. "Haru-chan~!" He removed his shoes and went closer to where Haruhi was standing. "Are you sure you should be moving around already~?"

Haruhi nodded. "I feel so much better now, Senpai."

"Really sure~?"

The brunette chuckled. "Hai. Choshi-san made sure I drank my medicine on time."

Honey made a note to thank the maid later. He casually took Haruhi's hand and started their trek towards the back garden. "I read the text you sent me. Did you enjoy your late lunch~?" He asked, deciding to make small talk while he led her to the garden.

Haruhi had to fight the heat that was starting to rise to her cheeks. She really wanted to take her hand back fearing that if the other maids would see them, rumors would start going around that might be bad for Honey. "Uhh, yeah," She stammered, keeping her head down. "I did tell you yesterday that I liked the garden."

"You just don't wanna stay cooped up in the room, ne Haru-chan~?"

Haruhi shrugged, a smile still on her face. "You could say that."

"Did you like the food~?"

"You rich people always serve the best food, Honey-senpai."

Honey smirked at Haruhi's response. "Well then, why don't you marry me and I'll travel all over the world to give you the best food out there~?"

She could feel a slight painful twist to her heart but decided to just ride with his joke. _A martyr Haruhi, that's what you are…_ "Oh? You'd do that just for a mere commoner, Honey-senpai?"

They were instantly greeted with a cool breeze and the smell of fresh cut grass. Haruhi inhaled the scent; it always made her feel so nostalgic. Her mind would be invaded with days when her mom would bring her to the park, let her play with other kids and the swings and the monkey bars; this was probably why she enjoyed nature so much ever since her mother passed away.

"What are you thinking about, Haru-chan~?" Honey asked, honestly curious of her thoughts. She looked so happy as she stepped out of the house and started to gaze somewhere in the garden, but he could sense it that the brunette's mind wasn't anywhere near them.

Unconsciously, she tightened her hold on Honey's hand. "I just realized why I love going to parks and gardens."

Honey blinked. "Why~?"

"My mom would always bring me to parks to feed the ducks or play with other children since my mom couldn't give me a younger sister or brother." She sat down on one of the wooden steps, finally letting of Honey's hand. "My mom told me she really wanted another one but money was tight."

Honey, on the other hand, was debating whether to snatch back Haruhi's hand or just relish the fact that she didn't cry out in sheer horror that they were holding hands for a few minutes… but then again, Haruhi wasn't like most girls. He looked at his hand where Haruhi's hand had been… it's tingling.

When she heard no response from her senior, she looked back and saw him staring at his hand. Was there something wrong with it? "Honey-senpai? Are you okay?"

"Haru-chan."

Well that was a tone that she'd rarely get to hear; Honey-senpai being serious. "Yes, Senpai?"

His hand was starting to bother him… it felt ridiculously cold. "Can I have your hand?"

Haruhi turned around in her seat, looking strangely at her senior's request. "Well, okay…" She slowly gave back the hand that he held onto earlier.

Without any second thoughts, Honey took her offered hand and grasped it like it was his lifeline. The tingling on his hand was gone and the cold was instantly gone.

His actions shook her to her core. He was staring at their joined hands intensely like it was some type of prototype or something. There was something in his eyes that she couldn't pinpoint… "Senpai, is there something wrong?" She asked, worry clear in her voice.

"You're not just some mere commoner to me, Haru-chan." His voice low and serious. Haruhi wasn't sure at that point whether he was angry or something else but that statement somehow struck a chord within her. Was he talking about what she said earlier before she went into that sentimental speech about her mother?

"Honey-senpai," She started off slowly. "You know I was just joking, right?" She held his hand with both of hers to make him feel assured. Whatever doubt he has, she doesn't know but she'd rather just apologize for whatever she said that somehow made him feel this way. "I'm sorry if it sounded offensive to you. You're a really good friend of mine and I hope you feel the same way too and – "

"You're special to me, Haru-chan." Honey interjected.

Haruhi nodded, not exactly registering what her senpai had just said. "Yes and I think you know that I'm not like the others out there befriending you just for money. I really do care for you – "

"I love you."

"Yes, and I love you too and – "

Haruhi stopped.

Haruhi blinked.

What did she just say?

"You said that you loved me, Haru-chan."

Slowly, she looked up… and saw Honey grinning wickedly at her. Did she really just say that?

"Yes you did, Haru-chan."

 _Mom, help me!_

…

 **There you go guys! Another chapter done! I know it's kinda short and I'm sorry. I just thought that today's ending would be a better cliffhanger than what I had in mind originally. Truly sorry!**

 **Anyway, I hope you guys liked this chapter!**

 **To those who are still following this fic, thank you so much for your continued support. You are my inspiration.**

 **To the reader, I love you. Thank you so much for taking the time to read this.**

 **You guys fatten up my heart, I might die.**

 **See you guys in the next chapter!**

 **Ciao!  
Nana xxx**


	12. Chapter 12

**Pairing:** Haninozuka Mitsukuni x Fujioka Haruhi

I hope you guys will enjoy this one! =D

…

"Mother!" Tamaki skipped his way to the Shadow King's lair in the Third Music Room. "We should go and pick up our daughter now!"

"Honey-senpai is more than capable of bringing Haruhi home, Tamaki."

Tamaki pouted. Why can't his best friend share the same sentiment? "Don't you care about our dear Haruhi, Kyoya?" Tamaki whined. "Why do you always allow our dear daughter to be in the care of the neighbors when she's supposed to be with us?"

The question threw the other occupants off their usual routine and looked at the Shadow King's hiding place. Did their idiot King really had the audacity to ask that to the Shadow King? More importantly… DOES THEIR SHADOW KING HAVE AT LEAST A SMIDGET OF FEELINGS FOR THEIR SECRET PRINCESS?

Kyoya, on the other hand, seemed to ponder on Tamaki's question. Did Tamaki even bother to think about his question before throwing it to him? He looked at the Host Club King and studied his facial expression. First, from head to toe, frustration and determination was clear; hands clenched into fists, shoulders tense, violet eyes rebelliously boring into his grey ones. Second, in between Tamaki's frustration and determination, Kyoya could somehow feel the jealousy rolling off from Tamaki. Lastly, Kyoya could sense the fear that was somehow floating under his reigning emotions. What he feared, Kyoya doesn't know but he'll find out sooner or later.

"Tamaki."

The violet-eyed Host Club King pouted at Kyoya's lack of reply. "What?"

"Do you trust Honey-senpai?"

Tamaki rolled his eyes. What sort of question was that? "Of course, I do! He's a friend!"

"Then why don't you like it when Haruhi is with Honey-senpai?"

Kaoru, who was eavesdropping together with his twin and Mori, widened his eyes. _Is he trying to…?_

A tick appeared on Tamaki's forehead. He opened his mouth, ready to shout at the ridiculous questions his best friend was giving, but Kyoya beat him to it. "Don't go ballistic on me, Tamaki. Just think about my question."

Kaoru knew what Kyoya was doing. He was _stalling_. Not only that, he wanted Tamaki's attention go elsewhere, which definitely would work since their King's attention span was worse than a baby. Was Kyoya avoiding the question or did he just find it unnecessary to answer? Whatever the answer is, he's deflecting it by making Tamaki reflect on his own question. _That Kyoya…_ Did he even know what would happen to Tamaki if by accident he realized his own feelings?

Tamaki looked down, seemingly deep in thought, his fingers up to his chin. "They've been spending so much time together…"

"Why do you think so?"

Tamaki's facial expression changed from frustration to a pensive one. "They're friends." Tamaki answered. Something in Tamaki's mind clicked, his pensive expression returning to its previous frustrated one. "Hey! We're her friends too!"

"Are you trying to deprive Haruhi from hanging out with her friends?"

"What?!" Tamaki was taken aback at Kyoya's question. He'd never do that to his precious Haruhi! "I wouldn't do that!" Tamaki said with a huff, actually feeling insulted that his best friend would say that to him. "What sort of a Father would I be if I don't let my precious Haruhi have fun…" He grumbled.

Kyoya smiled at Tamaki's response. Exactly what he wanted to hear. "Now just leave Haruhi with Honey-senpai. She's in very good hands." Kyoya closed his laptop, deciding to go home to officially end Tamaki's nonsense.

The half French boy pouted and started to follow his best friend out the door while mumbling all the way to the limo. The other three, namely the Hitachiin Twins and Morinozuka Takashi, simply stared at the door of the Third Music Room. Kaoru and Mori were both sporting a frown on their faces, although Kaoru's seemed more pronounced than Mori. Hikaru, on the other hand, seemed completely bewildered but just blamed it on Tamaki's idiocy.

He slung an arm around Kaoru's shoulder. "Tono can be such an idiot, ne Kaoru?"

 _Well, you're an actual idiot too, dear brother…_ Kaoru had to stop himself from making a comment. "Let's just go home, Hikaru." He looked at Mori who was picking up his bag from the couch. "Are you going home too, Mori-senpai?" Kaoru asked.

"Hn." Mori responded.

"See you tomorrow, Mori-senpai!" The twins waved and left the Third Music Room.

Mori was holding his phone, debating whether to call his cousin or not. He, too, was also concerned of Haruhi's health but aside from that, he was itching to hear his cousin's account on the events that occurred between him and Haruhi. Mori sighed and returned his phone inside his pocket.

 _Might as well go there unannounced. He might be more forthcoming if I were to come unexpected…_

…

They were sitting in one of the rounded tables at the garden. She could hear him humming a tune she didn't quite recognize. Her eyebrow twitched in slight annoyance. He was acting like the confession never happened! _Stupid, rich bastard…_

"Is there something wrong, Haru-chan~?"

Haruhi recognized that voice… it was his casual voice! Unconsciously, she started gritting her teeth to refrain from releasing words that she might regret later on. "Nothing…" She turned away, looking at the opposite direction.

"Do you wanna talk about it?"

"Talk about what?" Haruhi was suddenly surprised herself. She was never like this. She was the type of girl who was blunt about everything. So why, all of a sudden, did she hear herself saying something that sounded like she was playing hard to get?

She heard him snickering… which made Haruhi's annoyance rise. _How dare he…!_ She was about to tell him off for being rude but instead she felt him sit on her lap and took her face in both of his calloused hands. The scolding that she was about to give went flying from her head and all that was left was a blank brain. At that moment, she knew she was blushing real hard and couldn't stop the embarrassment from washing over her.

She took both of his wrists to pull his hands off but his hands were steady on her cheeks. "Haru-chan." She heard him. Slowly, she met his honey-colored eyes. There was something in his eyes and she couldn't quite figure out what it was but her insides simply melted just by the soft gaze that was directed at her.

Honey felt sorry for doing this to her but he knew that she needed something more than just a simple 'I love you'. Haruhi wasn't like most girls. Her brain wasn't hard-wired with romance, and for some reason he was grateful with that. "Listen to me, okay~?" Honey grinned, trying to make her feel at least comfortable.

In response, he saw her nod. Honey had to take in her expression at that moment before he could possibly and officially lose her and their friendship altogether. Her flushed cheeks paired with her pale skin, her caramel-colored orbs twinkling with curiosity and uncertainty, her naturally pink lips – Haruhi was perfect. "You have to listen to me before you say anything." He said, bringing his hand forward in a business-like manner. "Do we have a deal, Haru-chan~?"

Haruhi blinked at the offered hand. What is this? Some type of deal? Humoring her senior, she took his offered hand and shook it before releasing it. "I'm listening." Haruhi spoke.

Honey had to give himself a few seconds to arrange his thoughts. The day has finally come for him to lay out all the cards and hope that the girl in front of him doesn't shun it all away. _Well, here I go…_

"Haruhi." He started, purposely saying Haruhi's given name. "I'm honestly thankful that I met you before I graduated. Actually, I'm much more thankful to your parents who gave you an amazing brain that allowed you to get in Ouran with ease. You're not like the other girls, Haruhi." He paused, taking in Haruhi's expression who seems to be listening intently. "You have a good head on your shoulders. You're not easily swayed by money or status. You've got goals in life which motivates you to work hard." He placed his hand on top of hers. Her warmth was giving him strength to say more. "Your good personality shines through and I think that's what attracted me to you. You're honest and sometimes ruthlessly at that but that's also something that I admire about you. You face your problems head-on without asking for help." Honey stopped, giving himself some breather. "Haruhi, I could go on all day and tell you all the things that I love about you but one thing is for sure," Removing his hand from hers, he placed one of his hands back on her cheeks and caressed it softly, enjoying the feel of her soft skin. "I love you." He finally said it… and it felt good. "And I think this isn't gonna go away soon."

Haruhi sat there, slowly processing the things that Honey confessed. "I…" Haruhi blinked. Words weren't coming out of her mouth. "I…" She trailed off again.

Honey chuckled, amused that he had somehow rendered the first year genius speechless for the first time. "You what, Haru-chan~?"

"…..I don't know what to say….?" She said in a small, hesitant voice. If Haruhi were as comical as the twins and Tamaki, she would've slapped herself so hard her brain would fall out from her ears. Emotions were running so high that her brain can't process anything. It was like the majority of her brain decided to shut down but a small portion of it was still working that it somehow processed the idiocy of her words towards the man in front of her.

The short man in front of her grinned, knowing that he was holding back the laughter that was threatening to come out because of her obvious blunder. "Then don't say anything, Haru-chan." He replied, softening his grin to a sincere smile. "You just have to think, that's all."

Haruhi's head tilted. "Think about what, exactly?"

Honey shrugged and started playing with her brown locks that were touching her shoulder. "The possibility of us, Haru-chan." He released her hair and slowly moved off from her lap. "But I do want to know something first." He stared straight right into Haruhi's brown orbs. "Do you love me?"

 _THIS IS IT HARUHI. IT'S YOUR TIME! YOU'VE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS, HAVEN'T YOU?!_ Haruhi could clearly decipher what was being said inside her brain yet somehow her brain and mouth can't seem to cooperate well. "I…" She trailed off again, for the nth time. "I think I need time to think, Senpai." She admitted. She was starting to feel put together. She bravely set her eyes on Honey's. "I do love you – " Cue in the blush. That wasn't particularly hard. "- but it's just… I don't know, things feel like they're moving too fast and it feels like we're moving onto this new territory and I'm really scared."

Honey smiled. He understood where Haruhi was coming from. She grew up incredibly independent even when her father was still with her. She took the task of rebuilding their small family even when her mother wasn't there to help her anymore. She was so caught up with her numerous responsibilities that she didn't even have time for romance or other frivolous activities so he completely understood Haruhi's hesitance. He knew that it would take more than a simple 'Will you be my girlfriend?' for the genius brunette to crack and open to him. Good thing he was a patient man and was more than up for the challenge. You know what they say, nothing worth having comes easy.

"Haru-chan," He started. "I want you to know that you have all the time in the world to think. Don't feel pressured just because I asked you to be my girlfriend. Please, take all the time you need." He grinned at her, hoping to make her feel more at ease. "I'll always be here for you, Haru-chan."

Haruhi felt her heart soar at that. She loved the man before her yet she could feel her heart tremor at the thought of sharing her personal space for the first time. She needed the time to prepare mentally and physically. "Thank you so much, Honey-senpai."

Bouncing back to his usual childish behavior, he hugged one of Haruhi's arms. "Just call me Mitsukuni, Haru-chan~!"

There it was again.

Her own heart skipping.

Haruhi smiled. "Hai, Mitsukuni."

…

Mori stood up from his hiding place. He can finally sense the calm atmosphere between the two. Maybe now was a good time to finally let his presence be known? Swiping off the leaves that were hanging on his blazer, he made slow steps towards his two friends. Based from what he could see, it seems that they finally made a good conclusion on whatever serious topic they were having minutes ago. Honestly, he was oh so tempted to look for a hiding place that was close enough to hear their conversation. Yep, he wanted to eavesdrop.

Closing in on Haruhi and Honey's table, he schooled his face back to its usual blank expression and purposely stepped on a dried leaf to let them know that someone was coming.

The two teens turned their heads towards him.

"Haruhi." He nodded at the brunette who had a healthy flush and smile on her lips. "Mitsukuni." He said next at his cousin who was as usual waving at him happily.

As he got closer, he looked Haruhi and tilted his head.

"I'm fine now, Mori-senpai." She smiled. "I slept in late. Maybe my body just needed rest."

It always amazed him how this small girl in front of him could easily understand him so easily. It was one of the reasons why he liked her. The feeling wasn't exactly up to the point like Hikaru's, Tamaki's, and most especially his cousin, but it was more of like a familial feeling that made him want to protect her from all danger. She made a residence in his heart and in Mori's mind, it was irreplaceable.

He ruffled her hair which earned a pout from the small woman in front of him. "Take good care of yourself." He said in his usual deep voice.

"Don't worry, Haru-chan~!" Honey beamed at the brunette. "I'll take good care of you~!"

Haruhi giggled, feeling butterflies all over. "Mhm."

If it was possible, the intensity of Honey's smile grew even brighter.

Mori smiled.

It was good to see that his two special people were happy and that warmed his heart.

But at the back of his mind, he can't help but wonder:

 _What of the rest of the Host Club members?_

…

 **There you have it! I know this chapter took quite a while to upload. Work has been driving me crazy and wouldn't let me sit down to work on this fanfic. Thank God for weekends.**

 **I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter!**

 **Ciao!  
Nana xxx**


	13. Chapter 13

**Pairing:** Haninozuka Mitsukuni x Fujioka Haruhi

I hope you guys will enjoy this one! =D

…

"HARUHI!"

The brunette winced at the shrill voice of the Host Club President, Suoh Tamaki. "It's too damn early for that volume, Tamaki-senpai…" As annoying as the tall blonde was, she knew that he worried about her and she was happy to know that he cared about her. She let herself be engulfed in Tamaki's famous bear hug.

"DADDY MISSED YOU!"

"Tamaki, must you manhandle her so early in the morning?"

Kyoya pried Tamaki off the small brunette and greeted her a smooth 'Good morning, Haruhi. Are you well?' which was answered with a breathy yes and a grateful smile.

"You came here first. I'll assume that you asked Honey-senpai to take you home yesterday?"

Haruhi nodded. "I felt better after getting so much sleep. There really was no point in staying long."

A pair of arms snaked around her shoulders and waist. Haruhi rolled her eyes. It was no surprise that the twins will always get the chance to molest her. "Does this mean we get to more play time, Haruhi?" Hikaru whispered in her right ear while stroking her cheek.

"More play time, more… dress up time." Kaoru whispered in her opposite ear, playing with her brown locks.

"MOM! THEY'RE MOLESTING OUR DAUGHTER!" Tamaki wiggled, desperate to save Haruhi from the molesting twins.

Kyoya sighed. He didn't sign up to become a pseudo-parent in the Host Club. "Hikaru. Kaoru. Stop it. Would you like to be removed from Japan?" He said in a menacing tone.

In an instant, the twins removed their appendages from the small girl and walked away while whistling an unfamiliar tune.

The Vice President received one of Tamaki's bear hugs. "Thank you, Mommy!" A tick appeared in the Ootori's forehead and a dark mist started appear.

Haruhi noticed this and poked Tamaki's shoulder. "Tamaki-senpai. Kyoya-senpai is turning into a demon."

But she was not heard.

You, dear reader, can open your imagination to what our Shadow King did to the Host Club King.

…

"Haruhi-kun, you sure you're feeling all better?"

"Would you like me to get you some coffee, Haruhi-kun?"

"Don't give her coffee, Nana. It's not good for people who just recovered."

"I just recently learned about pressure points. If it's not a bother, I can teach you so that you can do it by yourself at home, Haruhi-kun."

Haruhi used to hate the girls sitting right in front her. They were chattering and wasting their time to some boy-filled club who were out serving ridiculous fairy tale lies. Their parents are paying thousands of yen in Ouran yet these girls are just sitting here, wasting good education and relying on inheritance and good looks. She used to hate them. She really did at first… but as time passed by, she started to know some of the girls who would usually ask for her time.

Amano Akane, her most regular client in the Host Club. She had this high-pitched voice that Haruhi used to think that her ancestors were probably witches. She would talk about almost anything that she could possibly think right from her head. She would undoubtedly talk non-stop if you start talking to her. Haruhi hated her… until that one session she had with Akane that somehow shed some light on her talkative personality.

She had no one to talk to except the maids and workers who lived in their home. Her mother was rarely at home since she was busy with her fashion work. Her father pretends she doesn't exist since the man wanted a boy as their first-born. Her younger brothers were busy with their education since her father was pressing them to give more time into it than playing.

Ever since knowing that story, Haruhi gave more effort into knowing some of the girls who regularly visited her. Little by little, she started to enjoy being in the Host Club and knowing some of the girls.

Haruhi chuckled at the girls fussing over her health. "Really, ladies. I'm okay. I'm not dying or anything."

One of her regulars gasped and shook her head. "Please, don't say that Haruhi-kun!"

The Natural Host smiled. "What do you want me to say then?"

The girls surrounding the Natural Host started to redden.

Ah. Girls and their wild minds.

 **...**

"Haaaa~." Haruhi exhaled, lying on one of the plush chairs in the Third Music Room and covered her eyes with her arm. "Today was exhausting…"

"You've been absent quite a lot lately because of your sickness." Kyoya suddenly appeared behind her, writing something in his ever-present black notebook. "It's not a surprise that you'll get a long list of clients."

"Well I wasn't expecting that." Haruhi admitted. She removed her arm and looked at Kyoya who was also looking at her with his usual blank expression. "What's it like tomorrow?"

Kyoya smirked.

Haruhi groaned.

"Haru-chan~? Are you okay~?"

Haruhi jumped at his voice. Since when did he get here?

The Shadow King smirked at Haruhi's response. She's usually so composed… until this martial artist comes along. "She seems to be dreading hosting duties tomorrow."

Honey chuckled. "Well, you have been missing in the club for a while, Haru-chan~!" He moved closer and started patting her head… which resulted in a red-faced Haruhi. "Your ladies are missing you~!"

"Ah." Mori agreed.

While everything was all fine and dandy on Haruhi's side, on the other side of the Third Music Room, however, was looking all dark and gloomy. The Host Club King was biting on his expensive handkerchief. The elder twin was frowning at the interaction between his "toy" and his senior. The younger twin simply watched on the ever-changing emotions of his other half.

"Why does daughter enjoy being with the neighbors than with her actual family…" Tamaki pouted, drawing imaginary circles on a corner. "It's so unfair…" He grumbled.

"Milord, they're probably just talking about something important." Kaoru said, consoling their sullen-looking King. "You know how Kyoya-senpai is very particular with Haruhi's debt."

"Kaoru."

Kaoru turned to his twin who was still spying over Haruhi and Honey on the other side of the room. "What is it, Hikaru?"

"Don't you think it strange that in a short period, Honey-senpai and Haruhi seemed to have gotten closer?"

Kaoru's right eye twitched. _You're just noticing that now?_ "I honestly don't know what you're talking about, Hikaru." He decided to play the innocent card for now. It wouldn't do good talking about their friends who were just on the other side of the room. Besides, isn't that what they call backstabbing?

Hikaru dramatically sighed and leaned on his twin, feigning a pained-looking face. "How blind you are, my dearest Kaoru."

Kaoru couldn't stop himself after hearing that statement. "Excuse me?" He said incredulously. His stupid twin didn't even know that he himself was having a huge crush on Haruhi! The audacity of this idiot…

"Do not worry, my twin." Hikaru ignored the disbelieving tone of his twin. "You too, shall see it for yourself soon enough." He ended with a dramatic flourish of his hand.

Kaoru's eyes narrowed with suspicion. As curious as he was with the relationship of his two friends, he wasn't that particularly interested to the point of wanting to spy but then again, he has long given up his chances just for the sake of his brother… "What are you planning, Hikaru?" His voice laced with hesitation.

The elder twin leaned closer, cupping Kaoru's ears. "We, my dear brother, are going to spy on our dear toy and Honey-senpai."

Why was he destined to have a stupid twin?

…

Haruhi double-checked the inside of her bag to make sure she hadn't forgotten anything. The last time she forgot her Calculus notebook, she was on the brink of insanity thinking about her getting kicked out of Ouran because of her grades dropping. She didn't want to go through that again.

"Ha-ruhi~."

The brunette couldn't stop herself from groaning at the presence of her two evil friends. "What do you want?" She said, not bothering to look at the twins.

"I think it's high time for us…" Hikaru started, taking a hold of her right shoulder.

"…to be the ones to take you home~!" Kaoru finished, holding her left shoulder.

Haruhi sighed. She knew that this time would come. "Look. Let's make a deal." She started, shrugging off the hands of both Hitachiins. She had a lot of things to do at home today. Her dad was coming home tonight so she needs to be back home early and tidy up. If she allowed them to take her home, she knew that she wouldn't even see a sliver of her apartment. "You'll allow me to go on my own today – "

"Nope~!" The twins cut her off with a resounding pop.

"- and on a weekend of my choosing," Haruhi continued, not listening to the twins. "I'll allow a sleepover with only the three of us." She finally said it. As much as she hated addressing that idea to the devilish Hitachiins, she really needed to get home.

They heard her loud and clear. Without missing a beat, thinking that Haruhi just thought of an escape route and would probably retract her _appealing_ offer, they simply replied with a thumb up sign and flew out of the Third Music Room like a light.

"That's strange~."

Haruhi jumped again at the sound of his voice. _How does he do that?!_

"They usually don't leave that fast, ne Takashi~?"

"Hn." Mori agreed. He, then, shifted his grey eyes to the brunette.

Haruhi sighed heavily. She knew what that look meant. "I didn't wanna be bothered by them since I needed to get home today. I offered a sleepover on a weekend of my choosing."

"When will it be~?" Honey asked. He could feel the jealousy creeping up but he knew that he had to keep it down. He'll ask the brunette later.

Haruhi closed her book bag. "I'm not sure yet but I'm thinking the sooner, the better. They'll never let me hear the end of it."

Honey silently agreed. "Let me take you home today, Haru-chan~!"

The brunette smiled, feeling the weight on her shoulders loosen up. "Hai, Mitsukuni."

The small blonde brightened at the mention of his first name.

…

"Hikaru, I still think this isn't a good idea." Kaoru reasoned with his twin.

Hikaru simply ignored his twin and kept his eyes on the Ouran gates. "It's not like Honey-senpai will actually kill us."

"Mori-senpai might, especially when he senses danger directed towards Honey-senpai."

"We're not dangerous people, Kaoru."

Kaoru resisted the huge urge to bang Hikaru's head against the window. _This idiot doesn't get it!_ He screamed internally, hoping to relieve his frustration. "Hikaru." Kaoru started, hoping that his stupid twin will get it this time. "They don't even know that it'll be us following them. They don't know our intentions. They'll see us as a threat, Hikaru."

Hikaru turned to his twin with a serious expression on his face. "Kaoru. That's why we're _spying_. Do you even know what the word _spy_ means? And what is up with you being so concerned that we'd get caught? We won't get caught because we are going to _spy_ on them." With that, Hikaru turned his gaze back on the humungous gates of Ouran.

Kaoru slumped back on his seat. Nope. His twin isn't budging. His twin probably forgot that they're up against well-trained fighters. He fixed his gaze at the ceiling of their limo, waiting for the inevitable. _I'll definitely save my own ass first in case something happens._ That was his last thought before finally hearing his brother ordering their driver to follow Honey-senpai's limo.

Kaoru sighed and prayed.

 _What did I ever do in the past life that got me stuck with an idiot twin?_

…

 **Hello! I know that it took me quite a while to upload. Things have been kind of hectic here on my end. Work got a bit demanding so I had to take care of that first before I lose my very first job =)) && since it's officially summer here in the Philippines, I went on an escapade with my family – so that's that too. Now that I'm back home, I'm able to update =) Sorry that it's short though. Hoping that you're still happy with that =( **

**Anywhoo, just to let you guys know in advance, I'm not sure when I'll be able to post the next chapter. Not that I'm saying that it'll take years, no, okay? Let's get that straight first =)) I'll be flying somewhere next week and I'll be out of town for 2 weeks. My goal for this week is to at least post 2 chapters before I leave home again but I won't promise that. I've got some packing to do, yknw? I'll try my best.**

 **Lastly, to all the reviewers, thank you so much for all of your honest reviews! I deeply appreciate them all. If it were possible to send you all cookies and hugs, then I'll definitely do it but since I can't, here's a virtual kiss instead :* Thank you so much for all of your support! You guys are the greatest!**

 **See you all on the next chapter!**

 **Ciao!  
Nana xxx**


	14. Chapter 14

**Pairing:** Haninozuka Mitsukuni x Fujioka Haruhi

I hope you guys will enjoy this one! =D

…

"Mitsukuni".

"Yes, Haru-chan~?"

The brunette's eyes narrowed in suspicion, looking at her small senior. "What's going on?" She felt the limousine turn and she could see that they weren't going anywhere near her apartment complex. "Why are we driving around?"

Cue in Honey's water-filled eyes.

"Don't you wanna hang out with me anymore, Haru-chan~?"

"Stop it and just answer me." Haruhi replied scathingly, not believing his words. "You knew that I was in a hurry."

 _For a dense woman, she sure is sharp in this department._ Honey sighed, might as well be honest with her. He didn't wanna upset her further by dishing out more lies to keep her out of the loop. "We're being followed, Haru-chan."

Her irritation with Honey instantly vanished and was replied with anxiety.

Honey sighed, again. Her reaction was exactly why he didn't wanna tell her. He jumped from his seat and took residence next to her. He took her hands in his and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "It'll be okay Haru-chan, ne~?" He beamed at her, hoping to ease her worry. "Takashi and I will figure this out."

Haruhi nodded and smiled softly, believing in him. "So, will your driver keep dodging this stalker?"

The small blonde seemed to think for a bit before facing his tall cousin. "Takashi, you think we should try it?"

Mori simply nodded in response. He pressed a button near him which brought down the privacy window between the driver and the passenger. "Daichi-san." Mori spoke.

"Understood, Morinozuka-sama."

Haruhi looked at her tall senior, curiosity burning in her brown eyes. "What's going on, Mori-senpai?"

Mori took the seat next to her and gripped her other hand. "Trust us, Haruhi."

Honey skidded closer to her and leaned on her arm. "Hold on tight, Haru-chan~!"

Just as she was about to ask the same question, she felt the limo pick up speed and unconsciously tightened her grip at the hands that were giving her assurance that it'll all be okay.

 _Mom, help…_

…

Arata Aki, the professional driver of the Hitachiin's for more than 18 years, frowned at the direction of the limo that his young masters wanted him to follow. It was heading straight to the city highway. "Hikaru-sama, Kaoru-sama." He called out to the twins.

"What is it, Aki-san?" Kaoru replied. His twin was too engrossed in the limo that they were following.

"I think it's dangerous to keep following that car." Aki said. "The direction they're going leads to the city highway."

"What?" Hikaru said in disbelief, absolutely unhappy with that information. "I thought Haruhi wanted to go straight home!"

"It seems they've sensed us, Hikaru-sama, Kaoru-sama." Aki supplied.

 _I knew it._ Kaoru thought and sighed. "Aki-san, let's go home." The younger twin ordered.

Aki nodded, pleased with the order. "Yes, Young Mast –"

"Don't stop!"

Kaoru's eyes widened and panicked. "Are you crazy, Hikaru? Are you trying to get us killed?!"

Aki gulped, uneasiness kicking in. This was not going well. It was easier to handle mischievous twins that wanted one thing than twins who wanted different things at the same time. He was scared of the thought that they'd get so heated up in their argument that they would attempt to steer the wheel themselves… and probably steer it to their deaths.

"I thought Haruhi was our best friend, Kaoru!"

 _This is getting really bad…_ Aki sweatdropped, his focus angling towards the angry shouts at the back rather than the road. He was getting so edgy waiting for the final order of his masters that his eyes were getting unfocused… not noticing that a young woman holding the hand of a small child was crossing through the pedestrian lane…

…

"I think we've lost them, Morinozuka-sama."

Haruhi couldn't help but release a huge sigh of relief. That sharp turn earlier that led to the city highway did nothing but increase her anxiety. If Mori and Honey weren't holding her, she probably would've flown off from her seat. "Are we really safe now?" Haruhi inquired, eyeing her short senior whose eyes was still trained at the back window of the limo.

"I know you're in a hurry to head home Haru-chan," Honey started, his voice turning serious. "But I think we need to drive a few more minutes just to make sure they didn't just take a shortcut and possibly cut us off."

Anxiety was slowly creeping up again, unconsciously tightening her grip on the hands that were giving her assurance. She knew that this anxiety wasn't needed. She was with the strongest fighters in Japan! Whoever was trying to follow them was probably one of the biggest dolts in the universe, trying to sign for their death wish. But still, even knowing that, she can't help but think that something might go wrong.

Honey could see that Haruhi was getting nervous again. Without much thought, he placed his free hand at the back of her neck and gently, guided her head to his, foreheads touching. He could feel Haruhi's forehead slightly warming up and could see her cheeks getting that red hue.

The brunette could not stop but stare into Honey's honey-colored eyes. They were so bright, if hit with a natural light, specks of gold could be seen; they were dazzling, swimming with emotions that she could not recognize yet made her feel warm on the inside. _What are you doing to me…_

"Haru-chan," He started softly, staring straight into Haruhi's chocolate eyes. "You're safe with us. We will all go home in one piece," He spoke with such emotion that made Haruhi's heart melt and was reminded again why she fell in love with this person in the first place. "Trust us, okay?" Haninozuka Mitsukuni was not a boy. He was a man with discipline, honor, and passion.

Speechless, all she could manage was a simple 'Hm.'

Haruhi was not the only one reminded of why her feelings developed, even Honey was too. She was blunt, dense, and practical to boot, but he loved it. She was different from all the girls who wish to be pampered and showered with material gifts. She was simply Haruhi; honest and passionate…

Intoxicating.

Her scent filled his entire being… and he could feel his monster trying to break through his control, but still, his control won. He was still winning her, she wasn't his yet, it was not yet the time to get territorial – and besides, his cousin was there. He'd probably shove his small ass out the limo if he so much as sensed ill intentions towards Haruhi.

Slowly, he backed away and gave her his usual toothy smile. "Just a few more minutes Haru-chan, ne~?"

Again, she simply nodded and responded with a simple "Hm."

Was she becoming Mori-senpai?

…

There was something wrong between the two of them.

She was absolutely, irrevocably, and explicitly sure that something was going on between the Hitachiin twins… and it worried her so much.

Yes. She was worried. This… whatever this fight was; it was something different. It wasn't one of their annoying fights just to get her attention.

It started off in the morning.

Kaoru came in the room first… without Hikaru. That was the first thing that she noticed. Every single day, even when they attempted their obviously staged fights, they'd always come in together. As Kaoru came closer to her table, she asked where Hikaru was.

Kaoru's amber eyes dimmed… and faked a smile and said that he wouldn't be able to attend morning classes.

Haruhi remained passive and nodded in response but at the back of her mind, she knew that something was up with the two of them. "Kaoru," Haruhi called, eyeing her best friend.

"Hm?"

"You'll tell me if something is wrong, right?"

His eyes flashed with something akin to… panic?

"I may get annoyed with you two sometimes but you know I consider you as my best friends." She admitted, hoping that whatever is troubling the twins, they'll at least confide in her and let her help.

A pained smile and a hug that spoke volumes of relief was the response of the elder twin. "Whatever is going on between me and Hikaru, Haruhi," Kaoru spoke softly in her ear. "We will get through this." He stepped back and patted Haruhi's brown lock. "Hikaru just needs to grow up and realize some things."

The brunette blinked. "What brought that on?" She scooted and offered half of her seat to Kaoru who willingly took it.

"Something… happened." Kaoru admitted, raking a hand through his hair.

Haruhi blinked, waiting for Kaoru to finish… but nothing came. "…then?"

Kaoru sighed and once again directed Haruhi a pained smile. "I can't tell you, Haruhi. I'm so sorry."

Without thinking, Haruhi took one of Kaoru's hands and squeezed it gently. "It'll be okay, Kaoru." She offered a small advice hoping that it will at least lighten Kaoru's burden.

Morning classes ran by quickly.

Kaoru ate with Mori and Honey which surprised her two seniors, not seeing his other half, but kept mum about it.

Afternoon rolled by, finally, Hikaru came in.

Haruhi knew that Hikaru had a temper, and was definitely expecting a temper from him since he and his twin are not in good terms, but what she didn't expect was his blatant disregard of his classmates who called out to him… and the withering glare that was sent her way.

Haruhi had no words. She was shocked… then angry, then confused, then frustrated…

What in the world did she do to the stupid twin?

Whatever this was, it wasn't something that can be fixed in a day – that at least, she can sense. She had to do something before the hot-headed twin lost it. She pulled out her phone and sent a text to their almighty Shadow King.

 _ **To: Kyoya O.  
Subject: Emergency… Truly…**_

 _Something's up with Hikaru and Kaoru. I don't think it's okay to open up Host Club today._

 _ **Haruhi**_

Their first period teacher finally came in but her mind wasn't ready for the lecture. She was worried – and maybe slightly miffed – at the Hitachiin twins. She felt her phone vibrate. She wasn't one to text in class so she had to excuse herself and told the teacher that she had to call her house for an emergency. When she was excused, she went straight to the men's bathroom and checked the Shadow King's reply.

 _ **From: Kyoya O.  
Subject: You know this bc…?**_

 _How sure are you that this isn't some type of prank against you?_

 _ **Kyoya**_

Haruhi huffed in annoyance. She was expecting this reply but that knowledge still didn't make her feel any less annoyed.

 _ **To: Kyoya O.  
Subject: I swear to the Gods…**_

 _I know that it isn't. Kaoru and I talked this morning and he told me about him and Hikaru fighting. About what, he didn't say and won't tell. Hikaru came in this afternoon and ignored everyone… and looked at me like I was an eyesore._

 _ **Haruhi**_

Haruhi was starting to get nervous, she knew that there were cameras everywhere. She wasn't supposed to stay in the bathroom for this long. Finally feeling the vibration in her pocket, she fished it out again and hoped that Kyoya would just believe in her and let her get back to class.

 _ **From: Kyoya O.  
Subject: Hmm….**_

 _Well… fighting twins would definitely decrease profits. Okay then, I'll cancel club today. Come in the club at the same time. Drag the Hitachiins with you… if you can._

 _ **Kyoya**_

Haruhi blinked. She wasn't expecting –

 _BRRR~_

 _ **From: Kyoya O.  
Subject: One more thing…**_

 _If this turns out to be some prank, the estimated amount of profits that we are supposed to gain today will be added to your debt._

 _ **Kyoya**_

She spoke too soon.

…

"Mother! Why is club cancelled?! Why wasn't I informed?! I'm supposed to be the King of this –"

"Haruhi requested that we cancel club today."

Tamaki stopped his rant and directed his violet orbs to the small brunette who was sitting right beside Morinozuka Takashi. In an instant, Tamaki was kneeling in front Haruhi holding her small and soft hands in his rough ones. "Haruhi darling, is something wrong?" His eyes showing genuine concern for their secret princess. "You know you can always tell Papa –"

"I called the club off not because I'm sick or anything."

Tamaki's head tilted to one side, curiosity in his eyes. "Then what's wro –"

"Ah, Tono. She's probably being her selfish self today~."

Haruhi's eye twitched.

That was Hikaru.

"Hikaru!"

Here it goes…

"What? You're gonna defend her again, Kaoru?"

"Stop being so simple-minded, Hikaru! Haven't you heard a single thing I said yesterday?!"

Hikaru sneered at his twin.

"Oh I'm sorry, what I only registered was that Haruhi isn't only selfish. She's a big, fat liar too!"

At that point, Haruhi stood, her brown eyes burning with rage.

Honey, sensing that things were definitely gonna go downhill, immediately took one of Haruhi's hands and gripped it, preventing Haruhi from walking over to the stupid twin. Mori took hold of Haruhi's shoulders.

"Who the hell are you to say things like that about me?!"

Everyone, and I do mean _everyone_ , winced at Haruhi's tone. No one has ever heard an angry Fujioka Haruhi… until today.

"I've been nothing but honest to you, Hikaru!" Haruhi shouted, feeling the hot tears coming. She was hurt that Hikaru would say that about her. She never lied about her feelings towards them whenever they try to disrupt her plans on weekends. She never lied about the designs they make just for her. She never did.

Hikaru, finally recovering from Haruhi's sudden outburst, faced the small girl with a vexed expression. "You? Honest? Ha! Stop saving yourself, Fujioka!" He can feel his blood turning cold, just imagining Haruhi's broken expression of what he's about to say will make him feel immensely satisfied. "I saw you yesterday with Mori-senpai and Honey-senpai! You said you were going home but nooooo, we saw you heading towards the city!"

Haruhi's eyes narrowed at his accusation… then something clicked in her mind.

"Were you the ones following us yesterday?" Haruhi's voice got dangerously low. "Honey-senpai and Mori-senpai sensed that someone was tailing the limo that's why they told the driver to drive around instead of bringing me back to my apartment…"

"Hikaru. Kaoru."

The room suddenly turned cold.

At that moment, everyone knew that if Hikaru or Kaoru were to say something wrong… they were dead.

Honey stepped forward, not relinquishing his hold on Haruhi's hand.

"Why were you following us yesterday?"

For the first time, Hikaru and Kaoru's gazes finally met… but were both praying that it wouldn't be their last.

 _What do we say?_

…

 **There you go! 14** **th** **chapter, finally served!**

 **Phew, finally, I was able to get the time to write an update and upload it. Work has been so demanding.**

 **To those who were offended by my story, I am terribly sorry. I did not mean for this story to belittle your sickness or anything. I simply touched the definition of 'arrhythmia' on the surface which is the irregular beating of the heart and immediately associated it with those typical love stories that girls or guys would get whenever they see the person they love – those hearts skipping beats and the like. I am terribly sorry. I will definitely do my research next time.**

 **To those who gave honest reviews, thank you so much! I know that I'm just an amateur writer but seeing you guys enjoying my story makes me feel really happy T_T Whatever review you decide to give me, I'll take it with an open mind and hope to be a better writer in the future.**

 **I hope you guys enjoyed this one! I don't know when I'll be able to update next but I'll definitely update! :D**

 **Leave more reviews and tell me what you guys think of this chapter!**

 **Ciao!  
Nana xxx**

 _NOTE: For those who ship Lin x Mai in Ghost Hunt, I'll be posting the first chapter next week!_


	15. Chapter 15

**Pairing:** Haninozuka Mitsukuni x Fujioka Haruhi

I hope you guys will enjoy this one! =D

…

For the first time in his life, Kaoru was truly scared for his life. Not for the life of his family, not for the life of his twin… _his life_. People say that great things come in small packages. People say that some people are small but terrible. Well, Haninozuka Mitsukuni was the perfect example for those lines. He was physically small yet his strength was something that even the best martial artist in the world wouldn't joke about. He personally trained foreign soldiers. He personally trained the entire Ootori Private Police Force.

Haninozuka Mitsukuni was someone you'd never want to anger… unless you have a death wish.

He looked at his brother, defiance burning in his amber eyes. Kaoru wasn't one for religion but right now his heart went out to all the Gods that could help him and his brother. _You better not fuck this up Hikaru!_

"Answer me."

Was it just him or did the Music Room feel a tad bit chilly?

And where was this Ootori when he needed help?! He usually breaks up all the fights!

Oh yeah… probably enjoying the scene and thinking about things to make it all go to his advantage.

"You can't have Haruhi all to yourself, Senpai!"

 _Fuck this shit, I'm out._

Haruhi felt a muscle twitch in Honey's hand.

"Why can't I, Hikaru?"

Haruhi gulped, suddenly feeling tense. She looked at the much more sensible twin. Kaoru looked like he was gonna faint… _This is really bad. This has to stop._

The brunette cleared her throat. "Honey-sen –"

"Shut up, Haruhi."

Tamaki's gasp was heard loud and clear.

"How dare you – _MMPPFF_!"

 _Ah._ Kaoru thought. _There's the Shadow King, always hiding in the shadows._

"Just because she spent her _nights_ at _your house_ doesn't mean you can spend all of your free time with her!"

Haruhi's anger spiked up again, not liking the way the stupid twin made his accusation. "You make it sound like we did something so scandalous!" She shouted back. Her throat was getting sore and scratchy. She wasn't used to this tone. She was always so quiet… reserved.

A satisfied smirk appeared on Hikaru's features. "Guilty, aren't we, Fujioka?"

 _You stupid, stupid twin…_

It wasn't a surprise because he had predicted it, and he was right, but it still was a surprise how fast the short man flew from one corner to the other and deliver a _deathly blow_ to his twins' right cheek. He wasn't even sure if he blinked or not.

Kaoru wasn't even sure himself when he had flown to his twins' side trying to help him up but the next thing he knew, his twin wasn't in his arms anymore. The raging Haninozuka was gripping the front of Hikaru's white shirt, his honey eyes flashing with pure white rage. He had never seen Honey _this_ angry.

"Mitsukuni!"

And from the looks of his cousin whose grey eyes, usually blank and emotionless, was now looking extremely alarmed – a definite sign that his stupid twin was probably gonna be sent six feet under if he says something incredibly stupid, again.

Tamaki's incomprehensible shrilling voice and Kyoya's (obviously) failing attempts to stop Haninozuka was drowned out in his ears. Kaoru's senses were all pointed towards the short blonde man who was close to snapping his twins' head off.

 _Hikaru. You have to stop…_

"Say it again, Hitachiin." Honey's voice was so low… _dangerously low_.

"Mitsukuni." Mori gripped his cousin's shoulder. "Stop this, right now."

Despite his shaking hands and soul, he would not give this up. His pride was too high for him to give up. "Say what, Senpai?" He spat back haughtily.

 _Hikaru. Stop it._

"Honey-senpai, please stop…" Haruhi's melodious voice floated through Kaoru's ears yet he could still see the rage in Honey's eyes. He was not stopping, not even for the Host Club's special girl.

Seeing the scowl that appeared on Honey's face, he knew that his senior wasn't pleased with his response…

He needed to stop this.

He still hated Hikaru for yesterday.

Still, his love runs deeper.

"PLEASE! STOP!" He shouted, his voice cracking over the volume his voice has reached. He wasn't used to the tone and for a second, prayed that he won't use that tone ever again.

He could feel hot tears rising to his eyes.

"Shut it, Kaoru!" His twin shouted back, anger still evident in his voice.

 _Hikaru. Please, stop this…_

"Do you not realize what this madness has done to you?!" Now, Kaoru was simply running on emotions. He didn't care what he was about to say. He didn't care if his brother's secret was exposed. He _needed_ his brother to _understand_.

Mori, seeing an opening, immediately snatched the arm that was holding the other Hitachiin captive and locked his tiny arms with his own two hands. He could feel his cousin fighting back but he held his ground and gripped his arms tighter. "Stop this and listen."

Hikaru, silently thanking Honey's cousin for the save, shakily stood up and directed his heated glare to his twin who wore the same expression. "Madness? Are you calling me crazy, Kaoru?!"

 _I'm sorry, Hikaru…_

"We almost ran over a small family because of you!"

Gasps could be heard, but Kaoru paid no attention to those.

"It wasn't my fault!" Hikaru hastily retorted back; his hands clenched into fists and sweat starting to appear on his face and neck. "It was that _stupid driver's_ fault! If only he was paying attention to -!"

"STOP DENYING IT BECAUSE I KNOW YOU IT!" Kaoru shouted over his twin. "It was _your_ orders that Aki-san followed because it was _you_ who kept insisting that we follow them!" He could feel his own breath getting short from all the shouting and anger, but he needed to get this all out. He isn't rolling over for his twin this time.

He wasn't backing down. No. He wasn't. "Then why didn't you stop me then, huh?!" Hikaru screamed back.

"Hah!" Kaoru scoffed in anger. "Stop crawling out of this hole of lies that you've created to save yourself, Hikaru!" Kaoru took a brave step forward. "I _warned_ you, but no, you didn't listen because of your crazy jealousy over Haruhi and Honey-senpai's friendship!"

"Then you should have just left me!"

"Today, I will, Hikaru." He could feel his own heart breaking. He wanted to do something else to make his twin realize his mistake. He wanted his twin to realize that his pride was clouding his mind to think things through before making decisions. He wanted his twin to realize that his stupid decisions could have serious consequences. He _wanted_ to help his twin. "I'm done rolling over for you, Hikaru." Kaoru said in a much calmer voice.

"I'm done being the patient and understanding twin." He clenched his fists, mustering the courage to speak more. "I'm done smoothing things over for your crazy and selfish schemes. Yesterday was an eye-opener for me, Hikaru." He wiped off the sweat gathering on his forehead with the back of his hand. "We almost – _almost_ – ran over a small family, Hikaru. We _almost_ had blood on our hands. On our _family_."

Kaoru could see that his words were finally getting through to his twin. "This irrational jealousy of yours," He took a few steps forward until he was a mere arm's length away from Hikaru. "Needs to stop."

"I am not -!"

"Shut it and listen to what Haruhi has to say." Kaoru looked at the brunette and registered her appearance – her hands clenched over her heart and her usual rosy cheeks was pale and marred with tear streaks.

Haruhi looked at Kaoru who gave her a small smile of encouragement. She could see the pain swimming in his eyes, yet she also knew that his twin needed a wake-up call.

"I –" She cleared her throat, feeling her own throat closing from the attention that she was getting. "Honey-senpai and Mori-senpai noticed that we were being followed that's why they decided against taking me home."

"Whoever was following us," All attention was now on their small senior. "We didn't want them knowing where Haru-chan was living, just in case it was some enemy of our family."

"Ah." Mori agreed to Honey's statement.

The silence that followed and floated over the tense group was deafening.

Just as Kaoru was about to look at his brother, the sound of the door opening and closing resounded in his ears.

Kaoru couldn't help but smile bitterly at his brother's actions.

It was _so_ him to walk out when things finally clicked into place.

…

"Kyoya."

"Tamaki."

The only sound that could be heard was the running engine of the limo that they were in.

Kyoya resisted the urge to growl. Looking at his best friend's face, he could tell that his brain went flying out of the limo.

 _What was the point in calling me anyway?_

But Kyoya could also tell where his mind went to.

Kyoya sighed.

"They'll be fine, Tamaki."

Tamaki looked at Kyoya with hopeful eyes. "You think so?"

"Yes, _Dad_."

A content smile appeared on Tamaki's face.

…

"Is Hikaru home, Aki-san?"

"Hai. He told me to tell you that he didn't want to be disturbed."

Kaoru nodded, totally expecting the order from him. "Don't worry, I wasn't planning on disturbing him anyway."

The driver just blinked and drove away.

…

"You think she'll be okay, Takashi?"

"Ah."

"Really? Should we go back and maybe stay with her in the apartment?

"No."

"What if she'll be sad, Takashi? What if she cries? I don't wanna -!"

"Mitsukuni."

"Hai?"

"She's strong. She'll be fine."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because she's Haruhi."

His cousin was right.

Still, he can't help but look back with worried eyes.

 _Haruhi. I hope you're okay…_

…

The brunette dropped her bags as soon as she closed the door at her apartment. She was mentally and physically exhausted. Today was just not her day.

Leaving her shoes and bags all scattered at the genkan, she strode towards her mother's shrine and kneeled in front of it. Seeing her mother's smiling face made her heart feel lighter.

She closed her eyes.

 _Mother in heaven…_

…

 **There you go!**

 **I know, I know, I know. I'm so sorry that it took me forever to update. Work and reality just happened. There's nothing more to say. So, all I can say is that I'm so sorry.**

 **First of all, thank you Christmas holidays. I finally got the chance to sit down and seriously type a chapter for my story.**

 **Second, to all those supporting my story, thank you so much for your reviews! I know I suck at updating but I really am trying, especially when work doesn't need me. Your honest reviews make me really happy and is my main motivation in getting more creative in my chapters. Thank you!**

 **Thank you so much to everyone!**

 **Ciao!  
Nana xxx**


	16. Chapter 16

**Pairing:** Haninozuka Mitsukuni x Fujioka Haruhi

I hope you guys will enjoy this one! =D

…

Ootori Kyoya had somewhat expected that the Hitachiin Twins or at least one of the twins would be a no-show for today considering the events that happened in the Third Music Room the day before.

No.

The Hitachiin Twins were in school, all lovey-dovey again like yesterday didn't happen. Truthfully, it was such a shocking thing. The entire group knew that the fight they both had yesterday wasn't any sort of prank. It was the real deal.

So, what sort of sorcery is going on?

"WHERE IS MY DARLING HARUHI?!"

Oh… that too.

Kyoya sighed and looked at his short senior who was staring unblinkingly at the mahogany doors of the Host Club Room. _Good thing the twins were called by one of their teachers and that blonde idiot is being his usual idiot self…_ "Honey-senpai?"

Honey's listless eyes snapped to his grey ones. "Yes, Kyo-chan~?"

"Have you heard from Haruhi?"

Honey sighed heavily and played with the ears of his pink bunny. "No. I actually tried calling her cell but she wasn't picking up."

"Ranka-san isn't picking up too," Kyoya replied, unconsciously gripping his phone inside his pant pocket. "Tachibana just checked out their apartment. They're both not there."

"The cemetery?"

Kyoya shook his head.

"You used to be able to track people."

"My sister spilled her stupid 'healthy smoothie' all over my laptop last night while I was making my Geometry assignment."

The short blonde chuckled. "Your sister is just looking out for you, Kyo-chan~."

 _RING! RING!_

Tamaki's incessant and needless panic over Haruhi's sudden absence immediately stopped. "Hold on," The Host Club King suddenly said in a normal tone. "That's my father's ring tone."

"Hello? … No, the club isn't running right now … Really? What did he say? Did he say where they're going? … Oh, that sounds pretty serious … Okay then, I'll tell the others … Thanks, Dad … Bye."

Tamaki flipped his phone shut and looked at his best friend and seniors with wide, blank eyes.

"What is it, Tama-chan~?"

"Ranka-san actually called the school this morning," Hearing no questions, Tamaki continued. "Haruhi won't be in school for the next three days since they travelled to Osaka. They received a call from a distant relative and according to my dad, it sounded pretty important."

"A distant relative?" Kyoya got onto his thinking pose – thumb and index finger on his chin, his eyebrows furrowed in concentration. "I'm pretty sure Haruhi has never mentioned some sort of relative. If she had, I would've checked on it."

Honey blinked and looked at Kyoya like he had popped a second head. "You've done a background check on her before we even met her, right?"

Of course he has… but she's a commoner and was not expecting that they'd cross paths. So when he learned that her mother was deceased and that her father was working as a bartender with measly earnings, he didn't bother with her file. Before, Fujioka Haruhi had no merit to him. She was simply a commoner who earned a full scholarship in Ouran Academy through her brilliant mind.

Who knew that she'd stumble in the Third Music Room and break an 8-million-yen vase?

"She wasn't worth anything to look at," The Ootori turned away from his senior, the glare from his glasses shielding his expression. "If I had known she'd stumble into our lives, maybe I would have. But I'm not omniscient."

Honey simply smiled at Kyoya. The short blonde knew that he was apologizing even if he hasn't actually said the word 'sorry'. "It's okay Kyo-chan~!" He beamed. "At least now we know where Haru-chan is~! We don't have to worry about her~!"

"Who says I'm worried? She still has a debt to pay. Of course I'll always look for her." Kyoya fished out his phone and walked away.

"Kyo-chan will always be Kyo-chan, ne, Takashi~?"

"Ah."

…

"Haruhi, why are you so fidgety?"

Golden brown eyes met identical ones that were looking worried. "Dad…" She muttered softly, unconsciously grabbing the soft hem of her kimono _Damn rich bastards and they're constant need of silk…_ "Don't you think this is weird?" She whispered.

Ranka blinked. "It is weird."

Haruhi fought the urge to groan at her father. Why doesn't he look bothered by this? "Then why are we here?" She hissed, her irritation starting to grow. "Aren't you at least a bit worried by this? Like why now?"

"Do you wanna know what's weirder than this?"

"What?"

"Kyoya not knowing."

"….."

"Weird, right?"

"Dad!"

Ranka chuckled. "Okay okay, but you gotta admit it, it is weird."

A shoji door opened behind them.

…

"Has Fujioka-kun mentioned it to you?"

The Hitachiin Twins shook their heads.

"Nonetheless, since both of you are closer to him, I'm giving you the task to take notes and give him review copies once he's back."

"And his quizzes, Sensei?" Kaoru asked politely.

"Will be scheduled once he comes back."

"We'll tell him that." Hikaru remarked. "Is that all, Sensei?"

"Hai. You may go."

Once out of the classroom, the twins stared blankly at some random wall. "She could've at least told us…" Hikaru pouted.

"Such a bummer we can't brag about your new level of maturity, Hikaru."

"Shut up."

Kaoru sighed and looked at his still pouting twin. "We should go back to the club. I wanna see Tono go batshit crazy over Haruhi's absence."

Hikaru grinned, his eyes glinting with mischief. "You read my mind."

…

Kyoya blinked, grey eyes still fixated on the phone. His head was still reeling from the text that Tachibana just sent him. _This doesn't make any sense…_

"Kyo-chan~?"

He was snapped away from his thoughts yet he hadn't turned to acknowledge his short senior. "Yes, Honey-senpai?"

"Is it okay if Takashi and I head home~?" Honey asked in his usual sweet voice. "Dad said that Tadashi Yanai sent some newly recruited bodyguards for us to train and I wanna see~!"

"That man sure is loaded," Tamaki's voice floated through their conversation. The tall blonde sat on the armrest of where Kyoya was seating. "Dad found out about how he's been hiring guards left and right nowadays."

 _BANG!_

"Hi guys~!"

Ah, the Hitachiin Twins are back.

"Oi baka-Tono~!" As usual, the twins were in sync, a mischievous look plastered on their identical faces.

"HA!" Tamaki bounced from his seat and pointed at the twins with a smug look on his face. "I KNOW WHERE MY DARLING HARUHI IS!"

Both Hikaru and Kaoru's face fell in utter shock. "You do?"

"You probably forgot who Tamaki's father is." Kyoya added. "The teacher who called for you told you?"

Kaoru nodded. "Said that some family thing came up and is currently in Osaka and probably won't be back for a few days."

"He told us to keep up with the lessons that Haruhi might miss and give her notes and to tell her that she'll still be able to take any missed quizzes." Hikaru added. "Tono, did your father tell you what sort of family emergency Haruhi had to go?"

Tamaki shook his head. "No," At this point, Tamaki became a bit serious, his eyes narrowing in contemplation. "But I do know when my father is hiding something from me."

"And what do you think is he hiding from you, Tama-chan~?" Honey asked, his eyes glinting in curiosity.

"The real reason for Haruhi's absence." Tamaki answered.

"So, you're saying that the whole family thing in Osaka isn't real?" Hikaru asked, his eyebrows furrowing in deep thought.

"No, not that," Tamaki instantly shot him down. "What I was trying to say was I feel like my father is telling the truth. He's just not telling me the entire story."

"Seriously Tamaki," Kyoya sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Are you expecting your Dad to disclose Haruhi's reason of absence when he already obviously told you that it's a personal matter?"

The King of the Host Club ran to the nearest corner and started drawing circles on the marble floor. "Well, I am his son…" He mumbled.

Kaoru rolled his eyes at their stupid king. Really, he can be so dramatic sometimes. "Just because you're his son doesn't mean you have to know everything that's going on here in school."

"We call that privacy, Tono." Hikaru added, poking Tamaki's back just for fun.

 _KNOCK KNOCK_

Everyone turned their attention to the wooden doors.

"Who is it~?" Honey called out.

"It's Tachibana, Haninozuka-sama. I'm here for Kyoya-sama."

Kyoya sat up straighter, eager for the news that his bodyguard was about to bring. "Come in, Tachibana."

As the door closed behind Kyoya's ever-loyal bodyguard, he made a beeline towards his young charge. "Kyoya-sama," Tachibana extended a short envelope towards Kyoya. "An update."

The young Ootori took the envelope, opened it, and pulled out… a photo?

"That shot was taken 15 minutes ago, Kyoya-sama." Tachibana supplied, referring to the photo held by Kyoya.

"This was taken by whom?"

"Haruto."

"Was he able to track her down before this?"

Tachibana nodded and pulled out his wide-screened cell which showed a small map and a glowing blue line with two dots at each end. "They were at a branch of Nishimura & Asahi in Osaka, the law firm that the Prince Fumihito frequented for personal cases."

"Are you guys talking about Haruhi?" Hikaru moved closer to the pair, curious about their conversation.

Kyoya nodded. Wordlessly, he passed the photo to Hikaru. Hikaru took the photo… and his jaw hung open. "No way…" He said in utter disbelief.

"Hold on," Kaoru snatched the photo away from his brother who was still in shock and stared at the photo with a critical eye. "What is – _holy mother of God…_ "

"My turn!" The tall blonde grabbed the 'shocking photo of the day' from Kaoru. "What is this?"

Tamaki's jaw literally dropped.

"Takashi~! I wanna see~!"

The stoic Mori simply nodded and plucked the photo from Tamaki's slack hands and examined it. "What is it, Takashi~?" Honey asked.

"It's Haruhi…" Mori replied softly.

His curiosity growing, Honey jumped and took the photo from his cousin's hand and took a good look at it. "What is Haru-chan doing in this – oh… _oh_ …"

"Surprising, isn't it?" Kyoya's deep voice permeated through their shocked brains. Without hearing any outburst, Kyoya decided to continue. "If Yuzuru-san was telling the truth that some 'distant relative' called both Ranka-san and Haruhi, then that must mean – "

"That Haruhi could possibly be from a line of royalty…" Honey cut Kyoya's explanation, his child-like voice replaced with a serious tone.

Kyoya nodded solemnly.

"WHAT?!"

…

 **There you have it guys! A twist? Yes. It doesn't hurt to make the Hitachiin Twins a bit more mature, right? Don't worry, you guys will get to know how they mysteriously made up in less than 24 hours – in Hitachiin fashion, of course.**

 **I know I made you guys wait long and I know this chapter is hella short. I can't seem to give you any good explanation except that 'adult life' happened. It's hard to just sit down and let my imagination run wild with work and bills constantly plaguing my thoughts. So I'm sorry you guys!**

 **To the followers and those who reviewed, thank you so much for supporting my story! I know I suck at updating, I'm really sorry for that. I do try my best, I really do. I can't promise when the next update will be but give me a week or two. I asked for a month off from work and thankfully, my boss approved. So yes, I can update.**

 **As always, honest reviews are appreciated! Thank you so much guys!**

 **Ciao!  
Nana xxx **


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